Minister meets operators tomorrow over aviation sector woes

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika would tomorrow meet with airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

WoleshadareNews learnt that the meeting is not unconnected with the state of the aviation industry in the country and the need to proffer solution to many problems that have stunted the growth of the industry.

An airline chief who confided in our reporter said the meeting will take place at 10am. But the source did not disclose the venue.

Sirika is said to be disturbed by events in the past few weeks that is capable of crippling the industry, particularly the problem that could put Aero Contractors out of existence if not properly managed.

Nigerian airlines are faced with plethora of challenges, ranging from difficulty in sourcing foreign exchange at relatively lower rates, forcing them to abandon their airplanes abroad after maintenance due to high cost of checks.

 

In Nigeria, commercial banks, which are profit oriented and without huge financial base are reluctant to lend such long-term loans to airlines and this has hampered air transport sector in the country.

The situation is not helped with the risks association with air transport in the country. So lack of adequate funding has led to the short life span of many airlines, in addition to bad business plan and technical failure, it has also led to the many air crashes suffered by airlines.

Also worrisome to the carriers is perennial scarcity of JET A1, otherwise known as aviation fuel and multiple charges by the agencies, especially from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Nigeria imports its Jet A1. But, given the collapse in the value of the Nigerian naira in recent months and given the scarcity of foreign currency, importers have struggled to source enough products to meet local demand.

 Executive Secretary of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Obafemi Olawole, said recently that marketers are finding it difficult to source for forex at the stipulated current rate of N385 to a dollar.

Just last week, the Federal Government through Sirika assured the workers of Aero Contractors that none of them would lose their jobs just as he promised to restructure the airlines.

The Minister who identified some of the challenges facing the airline said he would meet with Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the management of Aero Contractors and he would get back to the workers yesterday with a view to resolving the labour empasse.

 He told the workers that the federal government would make sure that the problems plaguing the airline was solved, noting that it is the responsibility of government to create jobs and therefore would not allow any business concern to die under its watch.