• Friday, March 29, 2024
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House Committee to review multiple entry designations granted to foreign airlines

Stakeholders demand increased investment in Nigeria’s aviation sector 

House Committee on Aviation and Ministry of Aviation have said they will collaborate to review the multiple entry designations granted to some international airlines to protect the local industry and ensuring safe and quality service delivery by all agencies and organizations that operate in the industry.

Nnolim Nnaji, Chairman of House Committee on Aviation, said the Ministry was expected to forward to the Committee, an Aviation Development Master Plan (ADMP) yearly which would form the policy framework for the development of Nigerian Aviation sector as a major hub for the continent of Africa, the creation of an enabling environment that will support local airlines to fly our flag globally and ensuring that the foreign airlines’ domination in the Nigerian Aviation market is curtailed.

Nnaji said the ADMP will also look at the possibility of reviewing the multiple entry designations granted to some international airlines.

Chairman of House Committee on Aviation also pledged to partner with the Senate Committee on Aviation to collaborate with industry agencies to bequeath to Nigerians an industry that is safe, reliable and viable.

Read also: Why Arik Air now operates foreign crew on Abuja, Port Harcourt routes

Nnaji made this known during his post-inaugural address to the House on Thursday and pledged to review the policies that tend to hinder the growth of domestic carriers, which enabled the dominance of international carriers over the nation’s airspace.

He said that the Committee has the mandate to oversight the Federal Ministry of Aviation and its six agencies, which include, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA), the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET), the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT)

The aforementioned agencies operate dual budgets that include the statutory federal Budget, which is embedded in the Ministry’s Annual Budget Proposal and the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) budget, which is all supposed to be submitted to the committee annually for appropriation.

“We will equally work with the regulatory authorities; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Ministry of Aviation to ensure that proper financial audit of intending local airlines is done before issuance of licenses to stem early exits of indigenous operators which have become regular occurrences in the industry.

“Our Aviation Industry has great potential, which has over the years been unduly exploited by foreign airlines. My understanding is that several foreign carriers operate multiple flights out of Nigeria daily (morning and night), charging very exorbitant fares without any indigenous operator reciprocating the same.

“These no doubt promote capital flights, unemployment and negatively impact on the economic growth of the nation, which should not be tolerated. Findings have also shown that some Nigerian travelers now have to go through the neighbouring West African countries to connect flights to Europe and America because fares are cheaper over there,” Nnaji noted.

He expressed the indication that the House in partnership with the Senate would move for the review of Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) Nigeria signed with various countries to address the increasing dominance of the aviation industry by foreign airlines so that “our indigenous carriers can be protected from early collapse as has been observed.”