Louis Ibah
Emirates Airlines on Monday said it sought and obtained additional flight frequencies from the Federal Government for the sole purpose of airlifting Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The airline was responding to an outburst of criticism by local airline owners on Sunday, alleging that by granting additional flight frequencies to Emirates from Abuja, some officials in the Federal Ministry of Transportation were, as usual, colluding with the gulf carrier to run aground a local airline, Air Peace which had just launched its operations into Sharjah, UAE.
Part of the Emirates statement read, “we refer to the various news media articles on August 4, 2019, which reported that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has criticised the Federal Government’s approval of additional flights to Emirates Airline
“We like to clarify that we have not increased scheduled flight services to Abuja or Lagos. We only operate extra flights to Abuja and Lagos for a very limited period, for the sole purpose of serving Nigerian pilgrims traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj. The increased flight was only to meet Hajj demands between July 27th and August 22nd. International carriers operating in Nigeria offer a greater choice for consumers, and are also crucial to supporting Nigerian tourism and trade. Emirates first started operations to Lagos in 2004, and we have since remained committed to Nigeria.”
Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Captain Nogie Meggison, on Sunday had alleged that there has always been a gang-up against Nigerian carriers on the Lagos-Abuja-Dubai route and that “the additional double daily flights given to Emirates, a highly subsidised airline is not necessary at this time.
“It is unfair to unleash a band of ravenous and voracious wolves against a harmless and privately funded puppy (Air Peace) that is still trying to find its feet and doing all it can to survive, create economic impact and jobs for our youths,” said Meggison.
“You would recall that at the launch of Air Peace flights to UAE, AON appealed that Government must stand tall to play the role of aeropolitics to support Air Peace, otherwise it will end up the same way as others such as Bellview, Arik Air and Medview that went before it as they were unable to play in the wild and aggressive field of international aeropolitics,” Meggison added.
Without doubt, the Gulf carrier (Emirates) have mastered the art of out-maneuvering Nigerian airlines out of the Lagos-Abuja-Dubai route once they make a foray in order to operate the routes as a monopoly. The trick has always been to find allies among government officials who will grant an additional flight frequency to the gulf carrier within the first few weeks that a Nigerian carrier launches a flight into UAE. The target is to mop up whatever passenger that might traffic to the Nigerian carrier. And this is thereafter followed by a major slash in air fares and baggage allowance by the airline to such a ridiculous rate that is unmatched by the Nigerian carrier.
The interesting aspect of this aero-politics is that once the Nigerian airline is run out of the route, Emirates heaves a sign of relief and returns to its original air fare. In the last seven years, the plan has worked perfectly in easing out Virgin Nigeria, Arik Air, Medview Airlines out of Dubai, and they are strong fears it could work against Air Peace.