Foreign airlines’ frequency to Nigeria rises

• ·        Int’l airlines enjoy 90% market shares

 Amid multiple designation rows, foreign airlines’ frequency to Nigeria is increasing by the day, Woleshadarenews has learnt.

In a data released by African Aviation Services Limited and made available to our correspondent, foreign airlines operate over 300 frequencies weekly into and out of Nigeria.

Ethiopian Airlines has the highest entry points into Nigeria, which is five. Ethiopian and ASKY together operate 54 frequencies weekly into Nigeria. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate 21 frequencies weekly into Nigeria.

The breakdown further shows that African World Airways (AWA) has 49 frequencies per week; Cronos Airlines (proposed); EgypAir with 16; Air France 15; Saudi Arabian Airways 13; Emirates 11; Lufthansa 11; Air Cote d’Ivoire10; Qatar 9; South African Airways 7.

Others are Delta, Royal Air Maroc, RwandAir, Sudan Airways, Turkish Airways, which enjoy seven frequencies without reciprocity from Nigerian airlines.

Etihad has five frequencies; Fly Mid Africa has four frequencies; Middle East Airlines has four and AirItaly formerly Meridiana has three weekly flights to the country.
The market share of foreign airlines on routes to and from Nigeria is over 90 per cent.

The situation could further affect Nigerian airlines who had over the years come under lack of protection and seen their revenue not only depleted but their lifespan very short.

Although, experts reasoned that the ‘dashing out’ of frequencies should not be put at the doorstep of the government alone, but also on the part of Nigerian carriers who have their own peculiar issues to deal with.

Most of the airlines lack partnership and alliances that could perhaps have enhanced their operations and give them inroad into getting some market share.
Minister of State Aviation,.Hadi Sirika had in 2016 said, the government would give consideration to requests by serious foreign airlines for increased flight frequencies as long as the nation’s interests were not compromised.

He promised to improve the economic and operational viability of the nation’s designated international airports by creating the enabling environment for international airlines operating in Nigeria to use them.

Aviation consultant and former Director of flight operations for Nigeria Airways, Capt. Dele Ore listed the disadvantages, saying it kills domestic carriers because it takes away the market for the indigenous airlines.

“The Ministry does not operate from the principle of reciprocity and there has been protracted allegation that money always passes under the table between these foreign carriers and top officials.”

Presently, the government is giving away these opportunities through lopsided BASA and what is stated is not idealistic; it is what other countries do to support and protect their airlines.

Besides, as the Ministry of Aviation has realised that Nigerian airlines have not developed high capacity, it would have developed a BASA arrangement tailored to suit prevailing circumstances of Nigeria’s air transport industry.

Instead, it is giving away frequencies, thus making it difficult for Nigerian airlines to reach code-share arrangement with international carriers.

Also, because of the easy way foreign carriers secure operating approval and increase in frequency, countries Nigerian airlines wish to operate from do not show similar generosity because they have realised that Nigeria does not care about the fortunes of its airlines.

The Ministry of Aviation does not operate from the principle of reciprocity and there has been protracted allegation that money always passes under the table between these foreign carriers and top officials of the Ministry.

Ore disclosed that to show that the government acquiesces to the whims of these international carriers, immediately the International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a policy that countries should stop collecting royalties from airlines.

Nigeria became one of the countries to adopt the policy. This is at a time when other countries were still weighing the implications and by banishing the payment of royalties by foreign carrier, Nigeria lost about N50.4 billion in over a year.

The Ministry of Transportation did not adopt alternative means to earn revenue from the operations of these international airlines, like introducing slot allocation system in which airlines are made to pay for operational slot, as it is done in most advanced and other countries.

Many are of the view that as the new government settles down to bring the expected changes in various areas of the country, it should look at the policies guiding air transport service in Nigeria with the aim of making it generate revenue and provide jobs for teeming Nigerians

Wole Shadare