Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has expressed the Federal Government’s willingness to collaborate with and support Nigerian airline operators in elevating the quality of their services.
This commitment was made during a meeting with members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, led by Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa, who paid a courtesy visit to the Minister’s office on Tuesday.
Keyamo emphasized his dedication to transparency in his role, stating, “I don’t want to operate in secrecy; one of my key policies is transparency.
I encourage you to share your challenges so that Nigerians can fully grasp the relationship between the government and airline operators.”
Furthermore, Keyamo highlighted the importance of local airlines in the growth and development of the aviation industry and the nation as a whole.
He assured the operators of government support in their pursuit of profitability while adhering to international aviation standards.
He mentioned the possibility of reviewing Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) and urged the operators to modernize their fleets to increase patronage.
The Minister urged cooperation among airline operators to establish more robust businesses with sufficient capital reserves to weather challenging periods like the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also pledged to explore avenues for the Airline Operators of Nigeria to access financing at favorable interest rates and foreign exchange to meet their international obligations.
Keyamo discussed the potential for commercial Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in Nigeria, expressing his intent to develop a forward-looking master plan during his tenure to position Nigeria as an aviation hub in Africa.
He encouraged airlines to utilize their BASA routes to reduce airfare costs.
Dr. Abdulmunaf Yunusa, representing the Airline Operators of Nigeria, presented a paper through Captain Roland Iyayi, highlighting various challenges faced by the Nigerian aviation industry.
These challenges included foreign exchange constraints, the cost of Jet A1 fuel, capital expenses, infrastructure, taxes, fees, government policies, and charges.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria proposed solutions such as licenses for Jet A1 importation and distribution through strategic partnerships, immediate reviews of industry taxes, fees, and charges, and renegotiation of existing BASAs and Multilateral Air Service Agreements in alignment with the Single Africa Air Transport Market, emphasizing reciprocity in favor of domestic airlines.
