Airlines, others fault new policy on repairs, operations at airports

[TGD]

 KEY players in the aviation sector yesterday condemned what they described as policy somersault and other myriads of problems facing the industry.

They hinted of a meeting tomorrow in Lagos, where they hope to find solutions to the emerging scenario, which the operators feared if left unattended to, could expose the country to ridicule.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Sabre Network, West Africa, Mr. Gbenga Olowo, told The Guardian yesterday that the remodelling of some airports, especially the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, the termination of Maevis's concession agreement, the ultimatum given by the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyin, to foreign airlines to reduce fares would be discussed at the parley.

Olowo said the termination of the firm's contract had exposed the airports to insecurity as passenger profiling is done manually against international best practice.

Expected at the proposed meeting are the President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Captain Dele Ore, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), and other stakeholders.

Some airline operators told The Guardian that the Ministry of Aviation and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had succeeded in wasting public funds in its remodelling exercise, adding that the Lagos terminal architecture is outdated.

But spokesman for the minister, Mr. Joe Obi, told The Guardian that all the projects embarked upon by the minister went through due process.

Already foreign airlines have criticised the 30-day ultimatum given them by Oduah-Ogiewonyin to cut their fares or cease operations in Nigeria.

Some officials of European airlines, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that less than $400 from what they collect go to the airlines while the balance go into landing and parking, airport taxes and sundry charges collected by FAAN.

They disclosed that despite lack of infrastructure, they described FAAN charges as the highest in the world.

The operators challenged the minister to come up with her findings to show that the airlines exploit Nigerians.

There are allegations that passengers on Nigerian routes pay about 23 per cent more on tickets for first class and business class seats than their counterparts in other parts of the world.

According to findings, there is a disparity between the dollar per mile rate that foreign airlines charge premium passengers (first and business classes) on the Nigerian routes and most other international routes.

Olowo linked the high fares on the Nigerian routes to demand and psychological factors. He said Nigerians' penchant for travelling in first and business class cabins might have contributed to the disparity in fares.



The Guardian