Nigerian airlines, including Air Peace, are gearing up to launch flights to the United States soon.
This development comes as the Federal Government grants
permissions and ramps up efforts to support local operators in expanding their
international reach.
Recently, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, vowed to
further crash the prices of international flights.
He also explained measures taken to ensure local operators
take full control of international routes in no distant future.
He said that his ministry, through the Renewed Hope Agenda
of the President Bola Tinubu administration, is on course to break those
barriers and make the environment conducive for both local and international
airlines to strive.
A representative of the Airline Operators of Nigeria,
anonymously confirmed to our Correspondent that Air Peace has been recently
granted the right to fly to the US, adding that other airlines are also in the
consideration process.
“The airline that the government gave the right to fly to
the US routes is Airpeace. There are other airlines but Airpeace has just been
recently offered that,” the representative said.
An aviation analyst and member of the aviation round table,
Olumide Ohunayo, over a phone interview, expressed scepticism about the
readiness of Nigerian airlines to fly US routes.
“Sincerely, we are not ready. I have not seen any of the
airlines in Nigeria being capable of starting the US routes,” he said.
“They have granted some airlines permission to fly to the
US. But I don’t see any of the airlines with the capacity to sustain flights to
the US. Remember what they did to Virgin Atlantic when they had passengers in
Virgin Nigeria and they said they will not allow Virgin Atlantic to use the
Virgin Nigerian opportunity to enter into America using Virgin Nigeria. That is
going to happen if we have to go and lease aircraft from any of the countries
that are having bilateral issues who they think have taken enough capacity from
them.”
He also cited historical challenges and potential bilateral
issues, warning, “If our airlines must go, our aircraft must be owned by us. I
don’t think we are ready.”
In contrast, the Chief Operating Officer of United Nigeria
Airlines, Osita Okonkwo, asserted that his airline is prepared, pointing out
that securing slots and permits from US authorities is the main hurdle.
“We are ready, the fleet is not the issue. The issue is the
counterparty’s process of getting slots.
“You can have the fleet and they can delay giving you slots.
We are designated to go to the US routes but we have to get slots first. So we
are doing the process. Slot and permit are major issues.
“It is a process to go through the Federal Aviation
Administration of America. We have to get all those, and then we move to the
next stage of going to the airport to get slots. Fleet is not the problem
because many people will want to give you aircraft to do it.
Meanwhile, Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, George
Uriesi, stated that his airline has no plans to operate outside Africa. “Africa
is where we are interested in. Those whose plan is to go outside Africa, that
is for them and not for us,” he said.
Also, the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora
Okonkwo, indicated ongoing efforts to meet the requirements.
“We are working on it from our own side. As soon as the
process that is required is over, we will be ready,” he said, underscoring a
commitment to achieving compliance.
However, the Special Assistant on Media and Communications
to Keyamo, Tunde Moshood, told The PUNCH that the government is willing to
allocate more international routes to local operators.
“There are several BASA routes to be fixed for our local
operators the moment they show capacity and consistency.
“It’s for the local operators to show readiness and
capacity, fixing them for any of the BASA routes is what the Minister has
promised.”