Ime Akpan
The chairman, senate committee on aviation, Mr. Smart Adeyemi has said that domestic airlines have taken the passengers for a ride by offering poor services.
Speaking on Friday during the joint senate and house of representatives committees on aviation oversight visit to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in Lagos, Adeyemi said should the local carriers fail to sit up, foreign airlines would be invited to operate domestic flights in the country.
“Nigerians are not happy with way and manner airlines operate in this country. Nigerians are at the mercy of the airline operators. You cannot predict your movement. People stay at the airports for five-six. If Nigerian airline operators cannot manage their fleet, it will not be out of place for us to ask foreign companies that are interested to run domestic operations.
“Today you cannot predict you movement travelling with Nigerian airlines. At times if not for the security challenges you would take your car and move.”
He called on the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, to do something about the situation adding that the senate and house committees would also do something to salvage the situation.
“The civil aviation authority must rise to the occasion. I wouldn’t know the committee that you have set up but we, as a parliament – the two chambers – are going to tell the government; we are going to set up our own monitoring system and we are going to announce to the Nigerian people the airlines that are not worthy to fly because they are not reliable.
“If it is only one airline that is doing well, we will announce to the Nigerian people ‘this is the best airline that is flying in Nigeria.’
“The essence of flying is to meet appointments and help to accelerate the socio-economic development activities. You are there for 4-9 hours and you say you are flying. I think it is better you take your car and move,” Adeyemi said.
The Kogi West senator also said the airlines are making much money than they did prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic adding that they (airlines) are also taking undue advantage of insecurity on the highways.
“And the fact of the matter is that Nigerian airlines are making a lot of money now, triple of what they were making before the COVID-19 pandemic. They capitalise on COVID; people are no longer accorded courtesy of service; some airlines will not serve you a bottle of water; no courtesy, no respect for passengers.
“The airlines are capitalising on the fact that it is their own market because the roads are no longer safe. We have to speak out; we have a responsibility the people at all times,” he added.
Besides, Adeyemi said commercial activities have picked up at many of the country’s airports thereby making airlines not to regard passengers.
“And what is happening is that because many airports are gradually becoming active you see a plane that was scheduled to cover two routes covering seven per day. And they assume passengers have no choice. Well, they have a choice; there is a government to protect the interests of those who don’t have a choice.
“So, if the domestic airlines can no longer perform their roles and meet their obligations to passengers we will ask them to pack up. If there are no airlines operating in Nigeria we will call for foreign airlines to come and operate in Nigeria.
It has got to that point. We must take up the challenge; we will do our best; we will set up our own team, monitor them (airlines) week by week and give the statistics of airlines that have failed to meet their schedule,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, Nuhu had appealed to the airlines to improve their operations so that they could fly long haul and earn foreign exchange as well as reduce pressure on the Central Bank of Nigeria for Foreign exchange.
Responding to the issues raised by Adeyemi, the director general said the agency was responsible for all issues and challenges in the industry and would not make excuses but double its efforts.
He said emphatically that he had taken responsibility for the flight delays and would take up the matter with the airlines.
“The issue of flight delays we will take very seriously. I can assure that we will be looking at the schedule of the airline, look at the number of aircraft in their fleet. We will look at their maintenance programme, the number of flight crew so we can determine the optimum number each airline can do as that is a contributory factor for the delays.” He added.
