As countries continue to operate evacuation flights to help move their citizens back home as a result of the rising cases of COVD-19, Nigeria has also not been an exception as Nigerians have continued to be evacuated from other countries back home and nationals evacuated from Nigeria to their own countries.
What however seems to be different in Nigeria’s evacuation flights is that while other countries support and engage their own airlines in operating these flights, Nigeria seems to be losing out billions of naira weekly over its inability to engage and support its own carriers to operate evacuation flights into other countries.
While carriers from other countries leverage Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to obtain landing permits and operate multiple frequencies in Nigeria, Nigerian carriers have continued to be denied landing permits to fly into other countries.
For instance, the recent denial of landing permit to Air Peace by the UK government, is another demonstration of ‘obnoxious’ aero politics and one denial too many against local carriers.
Canada did the same recently. This has in fact become the unfortunate norm and fate of Nigerian flag carriers. Quite unimaginable this time is the government’s silence and refusal to protect its own.
Air Peace builds capacity
Same stakeholders had earlier argued that Nigerian carriers do not have the capacity to reciprocate flights into other countries but this argument has been debunked by operators and some stakeholders especially after Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace acquired and registered its Boeing 777 aircraft in the country.
Three of the four wide-body aircraft it acquired for its long-haul operations to Dubai, Sharjah, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai had so far been delivered.
The airline had in 2019 commenced the Dubai route but was awaiting landing permits from other international countries before the compulsory lockdown, making it impossible for airlines to continue scheduled international operations.
Since the lockdown, Air Peace has been operating a series of ‘special flights’ to and from different countries, including China, Turkey, India, Israel and South Africa. Therefore, the airline has demonstrated its vibrancy and capacity to fly to any destination across the globe.
Few weeks ago, Air Peace again evacuated 327 Nigerians from London. However, after this flight, the UK government refused it landing permit to operate other evacuation flights, while its carriers operate freely in and out of Nigeria.
Stakeholders lament over Nigeria’s poor aero politics
Stakeholders have continued to blame the Nigerian government for not properly playing its part in aero politics and protecting its local carriers just like other countries.
Olumide Ohunayo, an aviation analyst told BusinessDay that it is disappointing that Nigeria lost out to the aero political synergies during this pandemic period when evacuation flights were being operated by countries to move their citizens safely back home.
“These citizens were stranded and on this basis, the Nigerian government chose to use the diplomatic flights. During this period, some were cooperating and some were not. One of such was Canada and the other was the United Kingdom.
“If you look at the scenario, you will notice that while these two countries were giving us problems, they were operating their own flights and taking their citizens away from Nigeria using their own airlines and for the British government, Air Peace was allowed to operate the first flight and thereafter, they stopped Air Peace.
“When you look at the situation, you will begin to wonder if we properly managed our own part. If we did not properly manage our own part, then what are we going to do in the future?,” Ohunayo inquired.
He hinted that once a carrier comes from Nigeria, it acts as a Nigerian carrier and it stands for the country and becomes a flag on the route it operates, adding that it is on this basis that the government needs to protect its own.
He further hinted that for the diplomatic flights carried out in Nigeria; the synergies weren’t smooth.
Review our BASAs, experts urge FG
Experts have also called on the federal government to review the country’s Bilateral Air Service Agreement, (BASA).
John Ojikutu, member of the aviation industry think tank group, Aviation Round Table (ART) and chief executive of Centurion Securities, told BusinessDay that the concerned authorities need to first identify the places where private airlines or private aircraft can be accommodated in the existing BASAs between Nigeria and these countries.
“We had a similar problem with Arik operations to the UK some years ago and there were some ‘diplomatic’ moves that restored the airline operated from Gatwick to Heathrow. The question I asked then was; what would happen if tomorrow you get a national carrier flying; would the national carrier be flying to Gatwick or to Heathrow?
“Some of these interventions in private operations and international operations are not well thought out government decisions but unilateral exploitations of the systems by some individuals in official capacities. My take is, if we don’t have a national carrier, let there be flag carriers as all American Airlines are but there must be policies and regulations to become one.
“That is why I said nationally, we must have policies that classify our airlines as regional flag carriers, continental flag carriers or intercontinental flag carriers. If Air Peace is being refused flights to UK now but BA is still allowed to fly into Nigeria, we must revisit the agreement that allowed Air Peace into UK pre covid19 within or without the BASA between the two countries if it is not a unilateral arrangement outside the BASA,” Ojikutu explained.
He also asked on whose interests the multiple frequencies and destinations are given to foreign airlines like BA, Ethiopian airline, Emirates, Qatar, etc?
Olumide Ohunayo told BusinessDay that it is time Nigeria begins to take its BASA seriously and look for reciprocity because what other countries have done now is to see how they can take advantage of BASA through their own carriers.
“Once they stop you, they provide their own carriers that will do it. We need to use this period to learn our lessons, straighten our BASA agreements and on no basis should we allow our flag carriers to go unprotected and unassisted. You don’t have to own the carrier to give it support,” Ohunayo said.
BASA, founded on the principle of reciprocity, is a deal that enables a country’s airlines to enjoy equal leverage, in terms of flight operations, in countries with which their home country has an air agreement.
However, experts in the aviation industry have said that the recent increase in foreign airline frequency into the country following the BASA signed between the federal government and other countries, it will impoverish the nation’s airlines and economy.
The agreement which is expected to pave way for more direct flights between major cities of both countries, on the principle of reciprocity by the designated airlines, on behalf of the countries have been viewed by experts as an unprofitable venture.
There are twenty two international airlines and eight domestic airlines with scheduled flights. Only Air Peace currently operates long haul flights.
FG urged to protect local carriers
The federal government has been urged to protect local carriers or else they may not survive competition in other countries.
Experts argue that it makes more economic sense to protect local carriers. For instance, Air Peace has continued to create job opportunities despite lockdown.
With the few evacuation flights the airline was able to conduct during this period of lockdown, the airline was the only domestic airline still creating job opportunities for Nigerians in the aviation sector.
Through the evacuation flights, the engaged Nigerian pilots, engineers, crew members, ground handlers, government agencies, air traffic controllers and security officials, amongst others.
These jobs were created in Nigeria and for Nigerians while economic activities were on hold as a result of the lockdown.
Sadly, the Ministry of Aviation and Foreign Affairs Ministry had engaged British Airways, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines to airlift stranded Nigerians from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.
Shamsudeen Bello representing Takai/Sumaila Federal Constituency of Kano State and eight other members of the House, while presenting the motion on behalf of his cosponsors, stressed that the action of the Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the PTF contravened chapter 11 of the 1999 constitution.
According to him, “the economic objective of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the fundamental objective and principles of state policy in section 16(a) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 provides that the state shall harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-reliant economy for every citizen on the basis social justice and equity of status and opportunity.”
He further argued that there was no justification in engaging those foreign airlines when there are competent Nigerian Airlines that could effectively carry out evacuation adding that the action amounted to a short-change of the economic well-being of the country.
He noted that indigenous airlines like Air Peace, Max Air and Azman Air contribute immensely to the national income and employment of Nigerians, thereby enhancing the citizens’ welfare and national productivity.
“Air Peace, and Max Air have tree Boeing 777 each and Azman Air recently acquired Airbus A340-600 series all of which could be deployed for such operations,”
He said that Air Peace handled the evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa during xenophobic attacks in 2019 free of charge and Max Air has been participating in air lift of pilgrims during Hajj without hitches.
