This is coming as the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON)
exonerated the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of alleged bribery
allegation and expressed confidence in the oversight activities of the agency.
The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema made this
known during the reception of the delivery of the 4th E195-E2 aircraft at the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and disclosed that three more of
the brand new aircraft would be delivered before the end of 2021 from the 13
already paid for because of issues relating with foreign exchange, as it has
become very difficult to obtain dollars due to the dwindling value of the
naira.
Onyema said each aircraft delivered to the airline creates
additional 1000 jobs directly and indirectly; so the 13 aircraft when fully
delivered would create additional 13, 000 jobs, which include those that work
with the airline, suppliers and other service providers, adding that the
objective of which he established the airline was being realised because he
wanted to create jobs for Nigerians.
"Although we have paid for these aircraft, we need
forex to pay for delivery payment anytime they want to bring in more aircraft.
Because it is difficult to source foreign exchange, we have decided that we are
going to bring three more aircraft before the end of the year. That will make
it seven brand new aircraft.
"Each of these aircraft generates almost a thousand
jobs. If older aircraft are doing eight flights a day, these ones can do about
15 flights a day.
We have increased connectivity and additional destinations.
We are doing Port Harcourt, Asaba -Kano, Benin-Port Harcourt. We have started
Lagos-Douala and we are going to connect to other destinations in the West and
Central Africa," he said.
Onyema said Air Peace decided to go for these new aircraft
in order to give Nigerians what they deserve and make them comfortable, adding
that the airline wants to make connectivity easy for Nigerians by
interconnecting all cities in Nigeria so as to energize the country and provide
jobs.
The director general NCAA, Musa Nuhu during his remarks
congratulated the Chairman of Air Peace for being consistent and deliberate in
his plans to renew the airline's fleet with new airplanes and connect more
cities in Nigeria.
"It gladdens my heart that Nigerian airlines are not
only getting new aircraft but are getting the right aircraft. The connectivity
in Nigeria has improved and it is getting better.
"These new aircraft have low maintenance and
operational costs and are environmental friendly. This is the way to go. I
believe with time, Air Peace will change all its fleet to newer ones,"
Nuhu said.
He recalled that pre-COVID-19, 10 to 12 million passengers
passed through the country's airports per annum, which only amounts to 10
percent of the country's population.
Meanwhile, Airline Operators of Nigeria has expressed
confidence in the oversight functions of NCAA.
The airlines show support for the regulatory agency after a
meeting in Abuja and dismissed the allegation that the agency officials collect
bribes to give or renew Air Operators Certificate (AOC).
The President of AON and the operator of Azman Air, Alhaji
Abdulmunaf Yunusa said that although NCAA strictly regulates the airlines they
know that it is to ensure that air transport is safe in Nigeria, adding that
there is good relationship between the airlines and the regulatory authority.
"We are calling on the international community to
discountenance any statements that portrays our NCAA in a bad light. Most of us
would want to apply for AOC today and get it tomorrow but one incident or
accident may bring the entire industry down. We want to dissociate ourselves
from whatever anyone must have said, it is not coming from us and it never came
from us. We have confidence in the NCAA being led by Capt. Musa Nuhu," he
said.
Also affirming AON position, the Vice President of the
association, Allen Onyema said that no airline should try to bully the
regulatory authority because such is not done in any part of the world, adding
that NCAA has ensured efficiency and safety in its interface with the airlines.
"Nobody bullies the CAA of any country to do your
bidding, it is not done. When that issue came up, we intervened as a body. We
stand on the side of truth and some of you are conversant with what is
happening at the CAA. I have an application to fly to the UK and it has been delayed
for the past three years and no one at NCAA has asked me for money.
The truth, the NCAA does not ask us for bribe. If someone
asks you for bribe, you should be able to provide the evidence. NCAA might have
its limitations in some areas but it is not a corrupt agency. The international
community is stigmatising this country and we are also stigmatizing ourselves
and it is not fair," Onyema said.