By Louis Ibah
Investors in Nigeria’s travel and tours industry have called on the Federal Government to rescind its decision to compel foreign airlines to fly into the Kaduna Airport during the six weeks the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja would be shut down for maintenance.
The government has earmarked about N1billion for the rehabilitation of the runway of the Abuja airport, which has been in a state of disrepair in recent months.
Already, foreign airlines that have the permit to fly into the Abuja airport have rejected the choice of Kaduna airport, citing security and logistics reasons. They suggested they be allowed to fly their Abuja-bound passengers directly into the Lagos airport and have them ferried to Kaduna airport by local airlines of their choices. Acceding to that request would however mean granting a dual entry permit to airlines that already operate flights into the Lagos airport as well as ensuring a double revenue earnings for the Lagos airport which the government seems to be opposed to. In diverting flights to the Kaduna airport, the government targets boosting for the airport and assisting in its speedy development as another hub in the northern part of the country.
But President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard, who briefed the media on Saturday in Lagos, however said great care must be taken by the Federal Government in its dealings with foreign airlines. Nigeria is in a recession and it is not the best of times to take decisions that could scare away foreign aircraft from operating into the country.
“It will not augur well for Nigerian asking the international carriers to go to Kaduna as some of them have expressed their reservation over the idea of going to the Kaduna airport,” said Bernard.
“So for us not to experience again the idea of foreign airlines withdrawing from Nigeria because once they take their aircraft away from Nigeria we are recommending that the government can direct all the international airlines to operate from Lagos within that six weeks that the Abuja runway will be under renovation
“That will give our local carriers the opportunity to partner with the foreign airlines. If they go, it might be difficult bringing them back and that will lead to lesser inventory or fewer choices of travelling for us which will lead to increase in cost of air travelling for Nigerians,” Bankole said.
He called on the government to commence the construction of a second runway at the Abuja airport immediately to forestall a situation where the airport would have to be shut down because there is no alternate runway to allow maintenance work done on the existing one.
Bernard also said the government can take a loan to construct the second runway for Abuja airport or opt for a Public, Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
He further advised that shuttle buses that would convey passengers from Kaduna airport to Abuja be made free and with full police escort because of the persistent civil unrest in Kaduna state.