Aviation: Airports concession, new national carrier
Aviation implementation matersplan
The 2017 was described as a year of mixed opportunities. The materplan launched for the sector was fantastic as unveiled by the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika but none of the programmes in the master plan has been achieved.
Concession of Airports
The concession of four major airports being championed by the administration is still a subject of controversy with stakeholders at a loss about the modalities of the concession, the areas of the airports to be given out to private concerns and the fate of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) workers who would be affected. This obviously explains while the workers including pensioners of FAAN have kicked against the concession plan.
But experts say given that many areas of the airports operations are already in the hands of private concerns, the concession can still be carried out without rendering the workers redundant. it is expected that the issue would dominate discussion in 2018.
Return of National Carrier
Generally, some of the plans outlined by the administration include the re- fleeting of national carrier, Aircraft Leasing Company, Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO), among others which if well implemented would change the fortunes of aviation in Nigeria.
Also, the unending cries of multiple charges by airline operators would not cease until the government devises a way to relieve the carriers of the huge difficulties of functioning with tall probability of survival. This, experts say, is one of the factors which led to the collapse of over 50 airlines in the past.
The Nigerian carriers to thrive, government’s policies have to be friendly and less suffocating as it is currently the case.
While working towards bringing back the national carrier, the former workers of the Nigerian Airways remain unhappy with the government for failing to fulfill the several promises to pay their outstanding pension in 2017.
Incontrovertibly, the chapter of the defunct Nigerian Airways cannot be closed without paying the outstanding pensions of former workers majority of whom languish in pain and penury while
More aircrafts for domestic airlines
If the momentum of 2017 continues this year, the country’s aviation sector would witness unprecedented development even as more airlines plan to open more international routes.
Air Peace has already acquired two B777 aircraft to commence international operations to China, Baltimore USA, Johannesburg, among others while Med-View Airline is also looking into servicing the Houston Texas route which approval it has already secured.