The leadership of the house of representatives met yesterday with the representatives of foreign airlines operating in Nigeria on the issue of trapped funds belonging to the airlines.
After a meeting chaired by the speaker of the house, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, in Abuja and attended by representatives of the airlines, International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), travel agencies and other aviation industry stakeholders, some understanding was reached to find quick solutions to release the money belonging to the airlines.
At the session, the AON made a strong case for the protection of the interest of Nigerian airlines in foreign countries, especially the issue of reciprocity in the number of flight slots allocated to Nigerian operators, compared to what foreign airlines enjoy in Nigeria.
The meeting also discussed the disparity in ticket prices charged by the foreign airlines in Nigeria and other countries, with Nigerians paying higher even when the distance between Nigeria and the foreign country of destination is shorter when compared to the distance from other African countries.
The meeting, which also looked into the difficulty Nigerians face in accessing the portals of foreign airlines for flight bookings, later adjourned till Thursday, October 20 to get the input of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the ministry of foreign affairs on how to fast-track the release of the trapped funds.
