All posts by : PREMIUM-LOUNGE_A1

Following the termination of Nigeria Air joint venture with Ethiopian Airlines, stakeholders have said former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, ignored warnings against going into the failed project.

Last week, Ethiopian Airlines announced that the Nigerian government had lost interest in following through with the partnership.

The airline’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, had said: “The Nigeria government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline.”

Therefore, the industry experts commended the federal government for the action it took, saying Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and Turkish Airlines shunned the former minister when he came up with the project.

They spoke in separate conversations with Vanguard, cautioning government against floating another national carrier.

Why it failed

A former military commandant at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retd, said: “Going by what I know, I told Sirika that a national carrier wouldn’t work because they wanted to start it as a government carrier.

”If I may ask, how many countries are into national carriers now? It is only very few countries and you will find that the population of those countries are probably less than 50 million.“Those are the type of countries that can talk about establishing a national carrier, not Nigeria. For us, we cannot set up a national carrier. What we can do is to set up a flag carrier. They should set up a flag carrier and forget about this issue of national carriers because it won’t work.”

Disrespect agreements

Also speaking, former spokesperson of the defunct Nigeria Airways, Mr Chris Aligbe, said: “When Sirika was marketing Nigeria Air, because I followed the whole procedure, I saw he went on an extensive marketing to Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Turkish Airline and even Pegasus, who said ‘no, they were not interested in investing’.

“Our country is known globally as a country that doesn’t respect agreements. That is our emblem. Today, Nigeria is blacklisted by aircraft leasing companies.  That is why we see wet lease, not dry lease aircraft.

”No Nigeria airline can get a dry lease because two airlines in Nigeria undermined the Cape Town Convention on international interests in mobile equipment. It is one of the reasons, with all the marketing Sirika did, when they advertised Nigeria Air, it was only Ethiopian Airline that applied.”

Future plans

Former Minister of Aviation, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Okpere, retd, on his part, said if there were plans to establish a national carrier in future, “what Federal Government should do is designate Air Peace and Ibom Air as the country’s carriers.

”To start all over again by buying aircraft or going to rent aircraft and start painting it to deceive Nigerians will not work. We need to develop our internal capacity and expand it.

Source: Vanguard

Domestic airlines under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria are seeking to enter a deal with the management of Dangote Petrochemical Refinery to buy JetA1 at an affordable rate.

As a result, some local operators have met with the refinery officials to seal an agreement that would see them get aviation fuel at N980/litre. Currently, aviation fuel goes between 1100-1250 per litre depending on the airport and the prevailing exchange rate.

A top member of AON and Chief Executive Officer of Top Brass Aviation Limited, Roland Iyayi, provided further insights into the industry’s engagement with Dangote Group.

He said, “The Airline Operators of Nigeria had a two, three-hour meeting with about a month ago with the entire Dangote refinery management, including Dangote himself.

“The meeting resolved that Dangote was going to supply fuel directly to the local operators for about N980 per litre. What was required was to have the local distributors key into the arrangements. I guess the AON hasn’t established which distributors will be used for that initiative.”

Also speaking, Chief Operating Officer of United Nigeria Airlines’ Osita Okonkwo, said the coming onstream of Dangote refinery had helped to lower the price of Jet A1.

“We don’t import directly; it is the suppliers that import and sell to us. They have been increasing their production, but I don’t think they have reached their optimum capacity yet.

“Dangote has started producing and our group went to see him, but I don’t think they have reached their optimum capacity. The refinery brought down the price.  Quite interesting to see what Dangote has done, he has brought down the price.

Okonkwo highlighted MRS filling stations as a major player in stabilising fuel prices in Lagos and Abuja. “They are selling for now in Lagos and Abuja for the same price, so he has kind of stabilised the price. I think NNPC has also started getting involved. The fuel price started at N1050 per litre, but due to exchange rate adjustments, it has risen to about N1250 per litre now,” he explained.

Also speaking on the issue, the spokesperson for Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, confirmed the company was producing aviation fuel and diesel at the new refinery.

“We have been producing aviation fuel simultaneously since the diesel rollout. It is a big congratulations to Nigeria. There is nothing like producing what we consume.

“There is nothing like value addition, and that is what we have done with this refinery. Otherwise, these guys will go and export and bring in low-quality. It is a big feat for Nigeria and a giant leap for the country and also for the continent.

Speaking on the issue of price reduction in aviation fuel, he said, “Of course, it is expected that the price of aviation fuel will be cheaper than what it used to be,” Chiejina stated.

Local operators have also confirmed that the aviation fuel market is experiencing shifts in terms of prices due to the impact of the Dangote refinery.

Source: Punch Newspaper

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has frowned at the prevalent cases of deceitful departure time scheduling by the airlines.

The Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Nigeria, Capt. Chris Najomo stated this on Tuesday at the Authority’s corporate headquarters in Abuja

He said the NCAA now runs a zero-tolerance approach to regulatory infractions.

Speaking through the NCAA Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, the Ag.DGCA at a media interview said when Capt. Najomo assumed office, “he made the ease of doing business the crux of his action plan for the NCAA.

“In line with that action plan, he has made processes for licensing easy for operators.

“The time to secure AOC is now shorter and less cumbersome than it used to be in the past. The NCAA therefore expects reciprocity from airlines.”

The Ag.DGCA noted that if the NCAA is making doing business easier for operators, then it follows that the operators must satisfy the passengers too wth superior services.

“It has come to our notice that some airlines are being reported for advertising deceitful departure times.“The NCAA regulation says no airline shall display deceitful passenger departure time at its counter, advert material, or on its’ website.

“We want to make it very clear clear that the DGCA has directed monitoring and offenders will face serious regulatory actions,” he said.

According to him, the Authority believes in safety, discipline, and economic regulation which is evidenced in the recent suspension of ten PNCF holders for failing to comply with the recertification advisory issued in April 2024.

He indicated that whilst the NCAA supports airlines to be profitable because of their critical value to the economy, it is important passengers are treated fairly.

Speaking to the ease of doing business environment at the NCAA, Capt. Najomo said the ease of business is an area the Authority will continue to improve.

Source: Vanguard