Experts in the Nigerian aviation sector have attributed the recent move of foreign airlines to buy aviation fuel in Accra, Ghana to economic recession.
The chief consultant, Belujane Konsult, Mr. Chris Aligbe, disclosed that the dwindling fortune of the sector was worsened when the recession struck and that, according to him, pave way from the airline to seek for greener pasture adding that Ghana on the other hand is giving airlines a lot of incentives such as tax reliefs. “We are not growing our industry and the investors see that they are losing money because the fact remains that the margin on airline operations here is very low. So, if these foreign airlines are losing money, they will definitely go somewhere that is friendly for their operations,” he said.
Another expert, Engr. Mallam Kiyari, explained that air passengers should expect further increase in air tickets.
“But if they had to increase the price of their services, they must get the approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Government needs to step in by setting up an aviation refinery in order to boost revenue from the sector because if this persists, we are transferring what is rightly ours to others countries,” he advised.
The General Manager, corporate affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati, admitted that there are challenges in the sector but assured that FG would intervened in the hurdles.
“The Minister of State for Aviation, Mrs. Hadi Sirika recently met with oil marketers in Lagos to proffer solutions to the issues bedeviling the aviation sector and the issue is more of a private sector issue,” he disclosed.
