As the federal government continues to grant foreign airlines access to more than one airport in Nigeria, the aviation industry will continue to record capital flight.
This was the position of the Managing Director of Belujane Konzult, Mr. Chris Aligbe, who said the Multiple Designation policy of the federal government which grants foreign airlines access to more than one airport in Nigeria was inimical to the growth of the sector.
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Aligbe was speaking against the backdrop of some aviation policies that are detrimental to the growth of indigenous airlines in the country. Some of the policies include multiple designation and open skies policy which Nigeria had signed with the United States government.
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He said some of the problems the airlines and indeed the aviation industry are facing were as a result of some of the nation’s aviation policies.
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“These are the consequences of an under-developed aviation policy. When you have under-developed aviation policies, capital flight will be a consequence. Multiple designations is part of this un-developed aviation policies. Domestic airlines are always there; they have their own problems one way or the other, but it is because we don’t have these policies to solve the problem or the fact that we don’t have a major flag carrier that is why we are allowing foreign carriers to fly into any airport they ask for in the country. We are not reciprocating anything. What of the open skies? For five years, America allowed us to explore the open skies, we clapped our hands and open our skies and sat down. After five years, three of them (American airlines) came here. We cannot reciprocate and competition becomes very difficult for us”, said Aligbe,
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On the federal government’s plans to remodel the nation’s airports with N17 billion, Aligbe said this will not go far because of the bad state of the airports, stressing that a new international terminal was required in Lagos because the old terminal building was no longer befitting of the nation and the traveling public.
Aligbe, who was General |Manager Public Affairs, in the liquidated Nigeria Airways further gave instances with other airports that are future oriented like London Heathrow Airport Terminal which its extension cost about 3 billion pounds.
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