The Federal government has been applauded for putting its foot down and insisting that a Nigerian carrier, Air Peace, evacuates Nigerians stranded in Canada.
It would be recalled that the federal government had designated the airline to airlift the evacuees to Nigeria but the Canada High Commission preferred Ethiopian Airlines for the job, even at a higher cost to the passengers.
Whereas the High Commission directed the intending passengers to pay $2, 500 to Ethiopian Airlines Air Peace charged $1, 134.
But the federal government has defied the Canada High Commission in Nigeria, insisting that the Nigerian carrier it so designated must evacuate the Nigerians from the North American country.
According to the itinerary, Air Peace was scheduled to fly Canadian citizens to Canada and then evacuate Nigerians from the Pearson International Airport, Toronto and Calgary International Airport, Alberta to Abuja where the evacuees would be moved into isolation for 14 days.
The President of Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr. Gbenga Olowo in his reaction commended the action taken by the federal government so far, especially the minister of aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika and the minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Godfrey Onyeama for insisting that a Nigerian carrier airlift the evacuees.
He said a foreign carrier should not be allowed to evacuate Nigerians when there are Nigerian carriers that are capable of doing that.
“The ART strongly support the federal government for maintaining its position that a Nigerian carrier should evacuate Nigerians from Canada and any other country. This is not a commercial flight; this is emergency flight operated under a force majure situation.
“This does not require commercial agreement or Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). But what they want to do is to intimidate Air Peace and deny Nigeria the opportunity of its own airline to evacuate Nigerian citizens.
“The Nigerian carrier is using a very good aircraft, a Boeing 777 ER (extended range), which is very good for the operation,” he said.
For his part, aviation consultant, Mr. Amos Akpan said:
“The federal government has been explaining how it prefers a Nigerian airline, Air Peace, to be the Carrier to bring back Nigerians from Canada. I join to applaud this move.
I have maintained that international flight operation is part of international diplomacy using the aviation business platform. “International diplomacy is a war fought on the business fronts. Unless the decision to back Nigerian designated airlines in the international arena is viewed from this perspective, the war would be fought; won or lost, while we are still at the discussion table.
“If Ethiopian or any non-Nigerian airline operates this flight, it means we lost this diplomatic manoeuvre. Air Peace met the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Operations Specifications Audit.
“Air Peace met the (the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) NCAA’s Air Operators Certification requirements to operate B777 drawn from ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation) technical specifications. Air Peace carried Israelis to Israel.
“My point is that Air Peace is technically and operationally qualified like any other country’s airline.
Similarly, a senior lawyer who had already bought business class ticket for the flight said Nigerians and others had already paid Air Peace for the flight.
He said what Air Peace charged was far cheaper than what the Canadian High Commission asked the evacuees to pay Ethiopia Airlines.
“I commend the federal government for fighting for our indigenous carriers. I am supposed to be in that flight. I paid N800, 000 for business class. Air Peace charged $1, 134 for economy class and 319 evacuees have paid but Ethiopian Airlines is charging $2, 500 for economy class.
“This is an emergency flight which all countries are using their own airlines to bring back their people from different parts of the world.
“Air Peace has met all the requirements to evacuate Nigerians and I hail the federal government for insisting that Nigerian carrier must carry out the operation,” he said.
He added that if Air Peace airlifts Nigerians it would take a shorter time to bring them back home but they would spend longer time with Ethiopian Airlines.
“I think we should support our local airlines. If we don’t support then they cannot grow. They have employed so many Nigerians; they pay their taxes and their employees pay taxes and they contribute to the nation’s GDP.
“It is high time Nigerians stood for their own for national interest. Air Peace has passed all tests. If Israel, which is highly security conscious, has used Air Peace to evacuate its citizens, it means the airline has good certification. It has passed all the tests required of it,” he added.
