The Federal Government has
assured the players in the aviation sector, especially the foreign carriers that
the current challenges are temporary. The Minister of State (Aviation), Sen Hadi
Sirika gave this assurance during the visit of
the Regional manager for Emirates Airlines, Manoj Gopi Nair in his
office yesterday.
This is according to a statement
by James Odaudu, Deputy Director, Press & Public Affairs which reads: “An
appeal has gone to foreign airlines operating in Nigeria who are in the process
of downgrading or suspending their operations in the country to reconsider
their plans and decisions, as the challenges currently besetting the industry
and other sectors would soon become things of the past”.
 |
| Sirika |
According to the Minister,
government was not unaware of the issues that have created operational
difficulties for both domestic and foreign airlines, such as Foreign Exchange,
Aviation fuel and infrastructural deficiencies saying that government has been
up and doing to ensure the creation of an environment that is both enabling and
profitable for them to operate.
He recalled the recent
concession given to airlines by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to enable the
airlines procure the required Foreign Exchange to clear the backlog of matured
Foreign Exchange obligations. He described the CBN intervention as a direct
fall-out of efforts of the Ministry to minimize the identified challenges. He
also promised to immediately take up the Emirates complaints about Foreign
Exchange with the relevant authorities.
Speaking on the issue of
aviation fuel which had earlier threatened to cripple the industry in the
recent past, Sirika said the situation had almost normalized as a result of
government intervention that has made it easier for importers to bring in the
product.
On infrastructural
deficiencies, especially the runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport, Abuja, the Minister said while the government was already handling the
issue, the long-term solution remained in the concession of the major airports
for which government had already commenced the process. That, he said, would
address the problems of infrastructure at the airports.
He therefore appealed to
the Management of Emirates and other airlines to reconsider their decisions to
either suspend their operations or scale them down, considering the adverse
effects on their long-standing costumers and the benefits they had reaped in
the past.
The Regional Manager, West
Africa, of Emirates, Manoj Gopi Nair had earlier told the Minster that he was
in his office to brief him on the decision of the Emirates Management to scale
down its operations in Nigeria, with the suspension of operations from the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Nair said the decision was
based on the airline’s inability to make ends meet in view of the difficulties
in accessing Foreign Exchange for its operations. He also listed the high cost
of aviation fuel and the state of the Abuja Airport runway as other impeding
factors.
He however promised to
transmit the Aviation Minister’s appeal and official commitment to address the
issues to the Emirates Management for a possible reconsideration of the
decision.
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