The Federal Government has disclosed that the Nigerian aviation industry expanded between January 2017 and June 2018.
Domestic operations grew by 33 per cent during the period, while international operations grew by 13.5 per cent.
The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika disclosed this while enumerating the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari administration in the sector.
“As you know, aviation as a globally-regulated industry; any lapses in one state is clearly monitored and exposed by the others. In Nigeria under the present administration headed by President Muhammadu Buhari, much achievement has been recorded in the sector and these are verifiable. To succinctly put, aviation achievements under President Buhari is unprecedented. They are not hidden,” the minister said.
He later mentioned safety as one of the major achievements of the current administration, which he said has sustained growth in the sector.
“It is on record that since this administration came on-board, there has not been an accident to commercial airlines, which has further boosted and restored confidence the of the flying public. “However, this achievement would not have been attained without the strong regulatory function of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Under this present administration, the country’s air travel has enjoyed enviable safety record, which is tremendous,” Sirika stated.
He added that the aviation sector has recorded significant achievements in all facets, in regulation, airport infrastructure and service provision.