The Federal Government is developing plans to establish direct flights from Nigeria to South America, particularly Brazil, to boost trade and tourism and ease travel between the two regions.
Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, who disclosed this on Wednesday, said the government was also taking steps to strengthen the country’s aviation sector by enhancing the capacity of local airlines.
According to Keyamo, the government is focused on increasing domestic airline operations and addressing gaps in international connectivity.
“We are working to open up direct routes from Nigeria to South America, addressing this gap in our aviation connectivity.
“Instead of giving up our traffic and airspace to other people, we are focused on ramping up the capacity of our local airlines. This sentiment reflects a broader ambition to ensure that local operators can effectively capitalise on the air traffic within the country’s airspace,” Keyamo said.
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The minister spoke at the ongoing International Route Development Conference in Moscow, Russia with the theme, ‘Network Cargo 2024’, according to a statement by Tunde Moshood, his special adviser on media and communications.
He said the planned direct flight between Nigeria and South America was to address the current inconvenience faced by travellers, who must transit through locations like Addis Ababa or Angola to reach Brazil.
The minister noted that the move was expected to enhance trade and tourism between Nigeria and South America, as well as foster stronger international ties.
Keyamo also discussed Nigeria’s recent implementation of the Cape Town Convention’s practice directions, which govern dry leasing in the aviation sector. According to him, by adopting these regulations domestically, Nigeria aims to instil confidence among lessors and financiers that their assets will be safeguarded under Nigerian law.
“The practice direction we signed last week ensures that Nigerian courts protect lessors and financiers, giving them the confidence that their aircraft are safe in Nigeria,” he explained.
The minister added that this step was anticipated to promote a mutually beneficial relationship between lessors and local airlines, facilitated by Nigeria’s substantial air traffic and the need for new routes.
Keyamo emphasised the government’s commitment to elevating its aviation standards by focusing on enhancing local airline capabilities, forging international partnerships, and expanding direct routes to previously under-served destinations.
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