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| Mr. Nick Fadugba,Chairman of African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) |
Series of advice came from aviation experts on how
Nigerian airlines’ working relationship will help them to muster strength to
compete with non-African airlines currently dominating the market. At the
League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) 23rd Annual Conference and
Award held in Lagos last week.
The first to give the advice was the Chairman of African
Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), Mr. Nick Fadugba when he said there is
much to gain when African airline work together and compete with non-African
carriers.
Many foreign airlines are coming into Nigeria making good
profit and yet most Nigerian airlines to the best of my knowledge are not
making a lot of money. In fact some are quite poorly financially, so we need to
do better. You know the international aviation industry has changed
dramatically since the days of Nigerian airways, today no airline can succeed
working alone. And therefore I want to
once again appeal to airlines in Nigeria to come together, to work together in
operations, training, maintenance, we need to partner. Even if we don’t merge
we need to partner with one another.
The average fleet size in Nigeria is about maximum 10
aircraft and yet we are competing with British Airways that has over 400
aircraft. Delta airlines have over 500 aircraft even Ethiopian airlines has a
110 aircraft. So how can small airlines compete? And I am not being
disrespectful by the way, the airlines I
am not talking about is fleet size, I am not talking about commitment to the
industry but I want to be realistic,
because this industry is cut throat. If you don’t have a critical mass in terms
of size, in term of good management, in terms of fleet, in terms of good
network, it is very hard to succeed. So
we have the market in Nigeria, we are very fortunate but the fact is that our
airlines are at the moment not of the size that can compete effectively against
the big airlines coming into Nigeria.
Christ Aligbe, the Managing Director of BeluJane Konsult
of his part advised Nigerian airline to join African Airlines Association
(AFRAA) in order to participate in the global aeropolitics. He said the earlier
they are part of the continental body the better. As it stands, despite how
important and vibrant Nigeria market is, none of Nigeria airline is a member of
AFRAA.
“Aeropolitics is not played at individual airline level.
Nigerian airlines need to be part of what is going on in the African Airlines
Association (AFRAA)”, said Aligbe.
