Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has promised that the Bola Tinubu administration would end the high mortality rate of airlines, which the industry in Nigeria is known for, by continuing the process of enhancing easy access to leasing and credit facilities from international financiers for operators.
Keyamo made the revelation at the weekend during the 10th anniversary of West Africa’s largest operator, Air Peace.
The eventful occasion was held at Eko Hotels and Suites, in Lagos.
Addressing the dignitaries from all walks of life who attended the ceremony, the minister said Nigeria had a history of huge mortality of airlines. He stated that more than 100 airlines had gone under in the last 40 years.
Ironically, studies show that air travel in Nigeria has huge potential and with the right policies and actions, Nigeria would have the most successful airlines in Africa.
Keyamo said the Tinubu administration will frontally address the problem of high airline mortality and bring it to an end by reviving what had been neglected over the past 40 years.
He stated, “This situation is worrisome. Let me tell you why it is a thing of worry. A recent study by Boeing says that Nigeria accounts for 80 per cent of domestic travel in the whole of Africa. Not West Africa, not Central Africa, but the whole of Africa.
“The busiest route in the whole of Africa is the Lagos-Abuja route; that is, in the entire Africa. I think it is followed by Johannesburg-Cape Town. But Nigeria is number one in terms of domestic travel.
“We have the population, we have the traffic, we have the people. So, it is surprising that if we have this traffic, if we have this domestic traffic, why are the airlines not surviving?
“Ask yourself. Why are they not surviving? And together, since we came to office, I have sat down with operators to solve this problem and I listen to them.”
Keyamo, however, said it was reassuring that a Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, had defied the odds. He said after 10 years of operation, everything was looking up for Air Peace, indicating that it will be a great carrier of the future.
The minister stated, “And then here you have Air Peace, after 10 years, still looking strong, still looking healthy, and actually on the rise rather than on the decline.
“I remember in the last few months, just like a couple of our local airlines, I have approved a number of international routes for Air Peace.
“As I speak with you, Air Peace is a proud ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a government, we are proud to support our local airlines. We are proud to support Air Peace, in particular, because they fly our flag very high all over the world.
“Air Peace is threatening the world right now. They are rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest airlines in the world. And that is from a local entrepreneur here.”
The minister said Air Peace deserved all the praise and support.
He added, “I, as Minister, I am proud to be associated, more associated with the local airlines than the foreign airlines. This is because we have a duty to promote our own, and we must stand by our own.”
Keyamo said in the next few years Nigeria would have a number of airlines operating domestic, sub-regional, continental and international services.
He said, “We are going to have them. We got a letter yesterday (on Thursday), a beautiful letter, inviting all of us to Ireland in January. We have not received that type of letter in Nigeria for a long time.
“And guess what? Because of what we have done in the last few months since we came to office, the collection of the greatest and the leading lessors in the world of financiers, aircraft financiers and lessors have invited all of us to a meeting in Ireland in January.
“The letter said I should come with all of them. They want to start this discussion at the highest level with Nigerian operators, the business of aircraft leasing and financing.
“You are on the right path. And all thanks to people like Allen Onyema.”
Chinedu Eze
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