- Empower Nigerian Carriers To Operate International Route – Sanusi Tells FG
The CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi has urged the Federal Government to formulate policies that will encourage Nigerian carriers to operate international routes.
This follows the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s report that foreign airlines operating in Nigeria have gained about $700 million within 8 months (January-August 2019), as it projects $1 billion ticket sales by the end of 2019, which has generated controversies among travel experts who said Nigerian carriers should also compete with the foreign airlines, in order to reverse the negative balance of trade.
Sanusi further explained that “Air Peace and Emirates can code-share on the UAE routes. We should begin to cut back on the money being repatriated from Nigeria by foreign carriers.
“In the US, a foreign carrier that operates to the country is not allowed to bring in cargo flight; it must contract a local airline to do that. A lot of cargo come to Nigeria from Emirates and all the Emirates flights that come to Nigeria is always filled with cargo.”
In a similar reaction, the Former Managing Director of Capital Airlines and industry consultant, Mr. Amos Akpan stressed on the fact that if foreign airlines would sell about $1 billion ticket in a year in Nigeria, then it means Nigeria remains an important market.
Akpan said Nigerian airlines should be made to benefit from the huge potential.
Among those aligned with the opinion of competing with the Foreign airlines include the Industry consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, who said something has to be done urgently to recover the loss Nigeria was recording with the repatriation of huge foreign exchange from the country.
“We have to do something quickly and see how we can pull back the loss. If we don’t do something quickly it will escalate as our economy improves because more Nigerians will travel and that means more money for the foreign carriers. I don’t see how any responsible government will allow that to continue to happen,” Aligbe said.
The President of Sabre Network, Africa and also the President of industry think-tank body, Aviation Round Table (ART), Dr. Gbenga Olowo, acknowledged that even though Nigeria needs the foreign airlines, the Federal Government needs to balance the trade by empowering local carriers to compete with the international airlines.
