Airline operators are calling for immediate action to tackle the key challenges crippling Nigeria’s air travel sector.
They are seeking a comprehensive solution to unlock the industry’s full potential.
According to the operators, the primary challenges facing the industry include inadequate infrastructure, poor inter-agency coordination, and inconsistent passenger processing.
These concerns were raised during the 10th Airport Business Summit and Expo in Lagos, where industry stakeholders gathered to discuss ways to unlock the airport investment potential.
One of the airline operators, Captain Ado Sanusi, said, the age of many airport facilities, some of which are 25 to 30 years old and in dire need of maintenance.
While acknowledging the age of these facilities, he emphasized that other international airports, even older than Nigeria’s, are able to operate smoothly due to effective practices that ease airline operations.
Captain Sanusi stressed the need to re-evaluate the country’s maintenance culture and approach to airport construction, as existing facilities have “outlived their usefulness.”
“And that lack of infrastructure is quite key in the challenges of airports in the country and it’s evident in most of the airports that we operate in”.
He also pointed out the inadequate coordination among various agencies operating within Nigerian airports and the lack of a unified, efficient processing system, which creates significant regulatory bottlenecks and deters foreign investment.
Another airline operator, Mr. George Uriesi, echoed these concerns and warned against repeating past mistakes that have cost the industry dearly.
He emphasized the need for a strategic and professionally executed infrastructure development plan to address these challenges.
“What you’re trying to achieve is well-run airport
businesses, however you choose to do it but, if you want to do PPP, don’t pretend that you want to do PPP, do PPP, don’t walk from the answer and go to the question”.
The industry is also concerned about the Federal Government’s newly introduced tax reform, which has drawn sharp criticism from stakeholders.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Kana, and the Secretary General of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals, Comrade Abdulrazak Saidu, have expressed concern over the reform’s potential to disrupt industry growth and investor confidence.
“Our agencies are going to suffer and the implication is that, the passengers are going to suffer and the airlines will suffer most”.
“This will never work in aviation industry. The President and commander-in-chief was badly advised, there is supposed to be an exemption based on the services they are rendering, aviation deals with the lives of people”.
They called for collaborative efforts to address these core issues, emphasizing that resolving these operational challenges is crucial for the growth and efficiency of the sector.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen