Fresh vista for national carrier

The announcement for the reestablishment of a new national airline resonated with many Nigerians who were of the opinion that it would truly represent the country only if the right things are done so that it would not to go the way of the country’s flag carriers that came with so much promise but short on delivery.

To show its seriousness in bequeathing to the nation its own carrier, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved advisers that would help chart a path for a new national airline.

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika Sirika who briefed newsmen at the end of the FEC meeting said N1.5billion was approved for the projects, which would kick-start activities in the transportation and aviation industry.

The contracts were awarded to Messrs Lufthansa Consulting/ TN Aero FGE, for the national carrier; Messrs Arrow for Aviation Leasing Company and MRO; Messrs Infrata Dantens for the concession of airports; and JEBB was appointed for the Aerotropolis and Agro Cargo Terminals.

“The establishment of the National Carrier will be concluded before the concessioning of the airport. Once we finish dotting the details, we should have the national carrier” Sirika had said.

The minister had also said the four most viable airports (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcoirt and Kano) will be concessioned first before other airports.

A national carrier for the country would in no small measure help Nigeria reciprocate most of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with many nations.

For now, all the BASA agreements signed by Nigeria favours other countries due in part to the fact that she doesn’t own a national carrier. In 2015, Nigeria penned 15 BASA agreements and has signed over 78 so far and just a handful is reciprocated by Nigeria.

The agreement is lopsided. With a national carrier, Nigeria can reciprocate these agreements.

Since foreign exchange is scarce in Nigeria today, the government of the day will tremendously appreciate all avenues to earn it with the establishment of the national carrier.

In establishing of the carrier, majority of the stake in the airline will be privately owned while the role of government will be largely supervisory and regulatory.

Emirates, Etihad, and South African airways et al are among internationally recognized airlines in the world. Each airline is a symbol of national pride for their respective nations.

Citizens of these countries always want to associate themselves with their airlines.

It is also a source of good international relations. Nigeria and Nigerians will feel this way if and when a National Career- Air Nigeria is established.

The erratic and indiscrimi- nate change in airfares experienced with private airlines will not be applicable to Nigeria’s national carrier.

The air fares will be affordable for every Nigerian and airfares will remain stable.

Since the liquidation of Nigerian airways in 2003, successive administrations have pondered on the idea of floating a national carrier. This has not resulted in something concrete as the giant of Africa cannot boast of one. Smaller African countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya own Ethiopian and Kenyan airlines respectively.

And one begins to question why Nigeria, one of the most attractive African destinations does not have one. There are also fears in certain quarters that the new carrier could go the way of many airlines such as Virgin Nigeria and Arik; two classical examples that have depressed many. But Sirika is driving the project with so much gusto.

Opposition to the floating of a national airline comes from airline operators. Their opposition to it is understandable because of the serious competition it would pose to their operations. But many see it as a wake-up call for the existing airlines to improve their services and allow them to think out of the box.

They hinted that national carrier is going out of fashion in this industry as it has been demonstrated in many quarters. To them, Nnational carriers succeed in countries where corruption is tightly managed as shown in the case of Ethiopian Airways. Many Nigerian operators lack the skill and financial muscle to compete even with the least airline in the continents.

Their situation is not helped by myriads of impediments that have constrained them from giving world class services. However, beyond the sad saga of the Nigeria Airways, the renewed initiative for a national carrier for Nigeria, experts say is a positive development that offers potentially significant dividends to the country.

Presently, the Nigeria aviation sector is still grossly underdeveloped and therefore contributes less than its expected quota to national development.

Even the private sector operators in it are operating with challenging handicaps that diminish their capacity to stay afloat, not to talk of developing it.

Aviation analyst, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (Rtd), said a national carrier is a national carrier and a flag carrier exactly what it means.

His words, “For us to convincingly have any that would give it a national outlook, Nigerians must have minimum controlling shares of 55 per cent distributed as follows: 36 per cent for the states, with each state holding one per cent; 18 per cent for principal investors from each state with each principal holding 0.5 per cent; Abuja and its principal 1 per cent with each holding 0.5 per cent with the foreign technical investors holding the balance of 45 per cent.”

Ojikutu advised that the concession of the airport should be limited to none aeronautical facilities, which may include passenger and cargo terminal buildings, excluding aviation security control facilities, aircraft parking areas or aprons.

A former Assistant Secretary General of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur, said the prospects of a national carrier will also stimulate development of the idea of the aerotropolis scheme, by which airport locations nationwide will be developed into hubs of aviationrelated enterprises, thereby promoting accelerating industrialization in those locations.

Aviation in the contemporary world has demonstrated its capacity to serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development, given its growing popularity as the safest means of transportation for both regional and long haul purposes.

It is a powerful tool for projecting soft-power and means for the promotion of enhanced regional interaction.