Chinelo Obogo
Aviation experts have demanded transparency and clarity from the Federal Government on how the expected palliatives will be disbursed as well as the conditions that operators should meet before they can receive the bailouts.
Reacting to the statement made at a meeting with the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC), where the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, said that the Federal Government’s palliatives would only be given to operational airlines with valid Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), experts have said that the sector needs a clear statement from the government that removes grey areas or speculations.
Nuhu said that any airline could apply for bailouts, whether functioning or not but that it is a policy that participating airlines should be functioning and with Air Operators Certificate. On the economic viability of Nigerian airlines, he explained that the COVID-19 has leveled even the strongest of carriers and most are being handed bailouts to survive across the globe.
Aviation security expert, Captain John Ojiukutu, told Daily Sun that any operator, whether private charter companies or domestic scheduled operators, which contribute financially to the federation accounts, should be entitled to government palliatives.
He said the government should revisit the operators’ contribution to the five per cent on the airlines passengers tickets sales charges (TSC) and the five per cent charges on the private operators chartered flight charges and any airline that has not been regular in the payment or are indebted in arrears to the government safety services providers should not be entitled to government palliatives.
“I agree that only airlines with AOC should get palliatives but the type of the palliatives must be defined. Any operator that contributes financially to the federation accounts should be entitled to government palliatives. We must therefore revisit the operator’s contribution to the five per cent on the airlines passengers’ tickets sales charges (TSC) and the five per cent charges on the private operators chartered flight charges. Any airline that has not been regular in the payment or are indebted in arrears to the government safety services providers (FAAN and NAMA) should not be entitled to government palliatives. Palliatives should not be Father Christmas offer; it should be where you sow is where you reap,” Ojikutu said.
Another expert and partner in Emftri Group, Amos Akpan, said the nature of the palliatives should be clearly defined for accountability and records and to avoid speculations. On which category of operators should be entitled, he said if the government wants to limit palliatives to scheduled domestic operators, it does not imply that charter operators were not affected by covid-19.