Aviation Minister tasks airline operators on service improvement

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that the Federal Government is ready to partner and support Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) once they are ready to raise the standard of their services.

Keyamo pledged to support the growth and sustenance of the local airlines operators, while holding them to the highest international standards in the aviation industry, given their importance to the growth and development of the country, hence he said the government is ready to help them operate profitably.

The Minister stated this when members of the AON led by Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa, paid him a courtesy visit in his office yesterday. Keyamo informed that the visit by the AON was a follow up of a private visit made earlier by the association, saying: “I don’t want to operate as a ghost, I said one of my policies is to operate an open policy. I said, “bring up your challenges so that Nigerians will understand exactly where the government and airline operators stand.”

He pleaded with the airline operators to cooperate among themselves to establish their businesses such that it will have enough capital to survive instances like COVID-19 pandemic. He promised to suggest to the Federal Executive Council the possibilities of AON accessing facilities at single digits, including Associated Foreign Exchange (AFEX) to meet their foreign obligations.

The minister, however, assured of a possible review of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) and also called on the operators to renew and repair their fleets to increase patronage.

Keyamo however, urged investors to invest in the establishment of the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in the country. He assured that the current administration will develop a futuristic master plan to accommodate everything that will make Nigeria an aviation hub in Africa, while imploring all airlines to utilize their BASA routes to reduce the prices of airfare.

Earlier, the President of AON, Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa, presented a paper through Captain Roland Iyayi, which highlighted some of the constraints and challenges and probable solutions to the country’s aviation industry. Among the challenges highlighted are: foreign exchange, Jet A1 fuel, cost of capital and funding options, infrastructure, taxes, fees and charges as well as government policies.

AON, while proposing a solution, requested for licences for Jet A1 importation and distribution through strategic partnership and an immediate review of all industry taxes, fees and charges.

They also called for immediate renegotiation of all existing BASA and Multilateral Air Service Agreements (MASA) in line with provision of Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), with emphasis on the principle of reciprocity in favour of domestic airlines.