The chairman and chief executive officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema has said that keeping the middle seats vacant when airlines resume operations will Nigeria’s domestic carriers.
Promoters of the campaign contend that keeping the middle seats vacant once flights resume will ensure safety in the face of the ravaging COVID-19. However, those opposed to the idea argue that it will be mere optics stressing that it is impossible to keep a safe distance between the aisle and the window seat.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ ‘Rub minds on status of industry restart’ yesterday, Onyema said the middle seats campaign as proposed in some quarters will not be sustained in view of the low purchasing power of Nigerians.
He said the airlines would have to transfer the fare on the middle seats to the travellers.
“It will kill the airlines in Nigeria. The purchasing power of average Nigerian is low.
“Can Nigerians afford N70, 000 worth of ticket on less than one hour flight?” he said.
In his contribution, the director of air transport regulation at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Group Capt. Edem Oyo-Ita (retd) who spoke of the financial health of the domestic airlines said only three airlines had submitted their financial reports “while we are still waiting for others.”
On airline insurance, Oyo-Ita said the directorate was working on the confirmation of the status of the insurance.
Still on the state of the airlines, the director of airworthiness standards at the NCAA, Mr. Ita Awak, said: “Six of the airlines have crossed the mark from the point of view of airworthiness. We have asked all the airlines that they should use only reagents that are approved by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) of their different aircraft types, to disinfect their machines.”
For his part, the director general of the NCAA, Capt. Nuhu, said expressed the need to work together to achieve common goal as he called on more focus on aviation security.”
“We have 11 recommendations and we have reviewed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s recommendations. The guideline is going to reflect our last meeting with airlines,” he said.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Area Manager for West Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun, while relaying the global airlines’ association stance on the resumption of aviation activities said: “We support the operationalization of the ICAO’ CART by Nigeria. He warns that airlines will not breakeven with proposed 70 per cent load factor. HEPA filter sanitises air in the cabin of aircraft.
“Air transport in Nigeria is distressed with the shutting down of operations. This industry needs financial support in which way it can come. We are appealing again to the government to support the industry. We are also ready to support in training.”
Also speaking, the former director general of the NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren suggested a simulation before reopening the airports to passenger traffic.
“We need to assure passengers that it is safe to fly. A simulation two days before the opening of the airports is encouraged,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the minister of aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika said the virtual meeting was aimed at getting the restarts of aviation activities right
“The whole purpose of this exercise is to get it right. It is our own style to come to you and marry your ideas and suggestions with ours for the betterment of our industry.”
On the palliative for the industry, Sirika said the issue was being considered at the federal level.
“Palliative is being considered and it is for the whole industry. There will be a template and it would be fair to everyone in the industry,” he said.
He further assured stakeholders that their input will be implemented by the government.
“Nothing will go to the government unless it is something that is collectively agreed upon,” he added.
