Maik AMINU, Abuja
Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines Company, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has urged the Federal Government to consider the aviation industry a critical sector, by making deliberate policy for a single-digit loan and access to forex for operators in Nigeria.
Okonkwo made the call in Abuja on Thursday at the 3rd annual management and staff retreats of the company which opened at The Dome Entertainment Center.
He said the call became necessary given the importance of the sector to the development and growth of the economy.
According to him, airline operators in the country were doing everything possible to keep services ongoing, in spite the challenges in the sector.
Okonkwo said: “We are now asking the government to make certain critical policy decisions, for the industry, single-digit loan, access to forex, and then we can take care of the rest.
“Aviation sector is critical, we are calling on government to cease these opportunity now, that it should be considered along all other critical sector, like agriculture, land transport.
“It is a catalyst for economic development and growth, and operators are losing money, and there’s so much we can observed.
“The mortality rate had been high in the last 10 years, but we have stabilised the industry in Nigeria to the envy of the world,” he said.
Okonkwo noted that sales of tickets were key for airline operators in the industry, saying that the operators were concerned that tickets do not go beyond the reach of Nigerians, given the current economic reality.
“The danger we have here in the aviation sector, is that the only thing you have to sell to make money to operate to pay for the fuel, to pay for other service providers is ticket. Every other person in the aviation eco system is supported by the ticket.
“We are very concerned that you want to benchmark your ticket over or above within the range of dollar. There is an extent you will get and you will be flying empty.
“Therefore, our profit is not in the number we sell, but it is in the number of passengers and the average tickets that we are able to put together. So, we are worried. We don’t want these tickets to grow out of the wings of the majority of Nigerians. We are concerned and so don’t know how this will go.
“In the past two months for instance, we have had about 30 per cent reduction of capacity equipment in Nigeria. And if care is not taken, in the next one month, up to 50 percent of the aircraft could be out of service. If this happens, it will not be because the operators don’t want to fly, but because it is impossible for them to keep it flying.
“When that happens, people will lose their jobs; those who have loans with the bank may not be able to repay, and the income which you get from ticket sales will reduce. So, nobody gain’s from that,” Prof. Okonkwo stated.
Okonkwo said despite the challenges in the sector, United Nigeria Airlines had blazed the trail in three years of its operation.
He said the issue of access to forex was a major challenge, adding however that United Nigeria Airline has continued to grow.
This, he said, was made possible by the grace of God, and commitment of the management and staff of the airline.
Okonkwo also stated that the retreat would avail members of staff the opportunity to assess how the company had felt so far and work toward further attainment of the visions of United Nigeria Airlines.
He urged Nigerians to remain united as a nation despite the challenges, expressing optimism that the nation would overcome its challenges.
On flight delays, Okonkwo said the only contract an airline has with a passenger was to be taken to their destinations safely, adding that the operators go through a lot to give passengers satisfaction.
According to him, when there are delays, the biggest loser remains the operator as there is an obligation to be fulfilled by the operator.
Okonkwo called on the airport authorities to live up to their responsibilities, saying that flight delays, most times, are not the making of the operator.
