By Chinelo Obogo
In order to improve productivity and increase revenue, domestic airlines have been urged to advance cooperation models that work best for their operations.
Aviation Round Table (ART), a professional organisation made up of industry experts, said during its recent summit that partnership and cooperation models work amongst airlines that consider themselves peers and whose operation are complimentary and that no single cooperation model fits it all.
The organisation said that for Nigerian airlines to be attractive to foreign carriers for code-share and other partnerships, it is recommended that operators be IOSA compliant, develop attractive route networks, ensure good product quality, develop the requisite commercial acumen and understand the contract terms of their engagement.
ART also advised that airlines should consider a local clearing system that addresses the current challenges of industry credit and place sales in a float account using solutions as the proposed One-Ticket solution where funds flow directly to the holder of the flown coupon.
“Partnership and cooperation models work amongst airlines that consider themselves peers and whose operation are complimentary as no single cooperation model fits it all. Therefore, domestic airlines should advance cooperation models that work best for the operations such as the model being implemented by Ibom and Dana Air.
“Nigerian banks have demonstrated the benefits of shared systems aimed at easing the convenience of their customers, this can be a model for the airline industry to facilitate the ease of the airline passengers in addressing options due to extended delays and cancellations. Nigerian banks are ready, able and willing to leverage on extant financial technology services to facilitate airlines’ interline arrangements to attain the ease of transactions for payment and settlement,” ART said.