For a couple of months now, the Nigerians have been awaiting a state carrier which was promised by the Hon. Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyi the Minister of Aviation.
This interest which welcomed the promise took it’s origin from the people’s optimistic attitude towards getting a national airline that they would pride in.
They wished for a virile as well as functional carrier which would once again put Nigeria on the international aviation map, one that would be competently managed, as well as be in a position to compete with the American plus European and American airlines. Which has been the desire of each and every Nigerian.
For Ten years, Nigerians anxiously waited, even though patiently to find out why and how Nigeria Airways was shut down. Even though, some knew the turns on that trailed the shut down of the one time flourishing carrier, nonetheless they never knew the magnitude of damage the planned collapse of this airline caused to Nigeria.
Yes, Nigeria Airways died because all the people saddled with the responsibility of resuscitating the airline have been adjudged not to have helped matters simply because of alleged corruption.
Although several airlines have pretended to be replacement for this airline, not one had actually made such effect that the previous carrier made across the world, the happiness and pride it gave thousands of people. Actually, the performance of the other carriers has been below acceptable.
They don’t have the will as well as financial support to compete with companies such as the British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar, Air France-KLM, Delta, United, and ; the greater reason why these airlines have a field day, operating the show with a number of the finest in-flight services as well as equipment.
A number of flag carriers in Nigeria aren’t doing sufficient to earn the residents of Nigeria respect due to the bad services they provide on the worldwide routes. It is normally great pride to possess an airlines that is genuinely Nigerian.
However the expectations are rapidly turning into a delusion. It’s not that the Nigerian government doesn’t exactly know what to do; a straightforward direction of what it precisely wants is obviously lacking.
the Ministry stated that it would search for strategic partners to offer it the technical assistance it needs. In addition the government discusses going into a Public Private Partnership without offering Nigerians the straightforward direction of precisely what it needs to do.
Not too long ago, the demand for a genuinely national airline has been very loud. Nigeria, most likely wouldn’t have found itself in this risky situation if the government had implemented the advice of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the most effective way to privatize that airline.
The enthusiasm on the side of Oduah-Ogiewonyi to give Nigeria a state airline is rapidly declining.
However stakeholders are of the perception that the government’s plan lacks a straight forward direction of precisely what the government wants to do.
The Public Private Partnership is an unfamiliar contraption with regards to establishing an airline. Is the entire progression going to be see-through? Won’t the persons that are very near the lines of power take over it?
Isn’t it going to be yet another huge exercise in ineffectiveness? will a government following the administration of Goodluck Jonathan not frustrate the Public Private Partnership establishment just as Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited – the operators of ultra modern MMA2 supposedly being aggravated over its multi-billion naira financial investment at Lagos airport? Will the Ministry of Aviation following this administration not awaken to claim this contract was signed by mistake, or claim they weren’t taken along prior to the sealing of the contract?
Exactly why is it getting so hard to follow the way of the renowned Kenya Airways, that has become among the most outstandingly successful airlines in the whole of Africa? in fact, Kenya Airways had significantly worse challenges compared to the liquidated Nigeria Airways and it has grown from its past ashes to turn out as one of the leading players in Africa.
Actually, this carrier was 2 yrs back ranked as the 2nd most profitable African airline following Ethiopian Airways. Kenya airline is a perfect example in privatization.
In Africa, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air as well as Ethiopian Air are among the most solid airlines which have delivered pride to their respective countries. They have assisted in reducing the large capital flight, done by the popularity of super carriers such as British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Air France-KLM and the Emirates and many others.
The privatization of the Kenya Airways was the very first privatization of an airline belonging to an African country. The sale of a main asset owned by a country is normally a highly imposed political event, and the 2 year process during which 77% of the total Kenya Airways shares were sold to a extensive number of private investors wasn’t any different.
From the beginning, the media as well as the Kenyan public speculated the way and time the process would be unsuccessful, and the interests that would profit from that failure. Yet the privatisation was carried out successfully.
the flag carrier airlines in Nigeria haven’t done so well due to an insufficient productive business model, devastating financial debt, deficiency of war chest to create routes that are feasible, in conjunction with lack of assistance from the government.
Truthfully the majority of the carriers specified on foreign routes shut down couple of months after they started operations. The few still surviving are struggling to manage, since they are weakened by very poor connections beyond United States, some African countries and Europe.
Some of the interline agreements have collapsed while the ones that are still active are just hanging there.
Nigeria airlines aren’t only there with regards to reciprocating the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) in between her and some other foreign countries.
Former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) stated that the move was that of a senior partner (meaning government) whom he explained had not made an achievement of any type business.
He stated that a new national airline is a return to the corrupt practices of the past.
Ojikutu strongly suggested that government ought to establish 2 powerful flag carriers from the capital market to allow the public to purchase into them.
he went ahead to ask If the country is thinking along with the rest of the international aviation in which the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is preparing for only Twelve world airlines.
He continued to say that On top of that, government can’t be trusted to go by the policies. considering the way it is, the Nigerian government, would prefer to toss its weight about as it has been doing for a number of private airlines that are in arrears with service providers of public & private aviation and inspiring them at times to circumvent set up regulations, particularly BASA plus commercial agreements”.
We saw how government officials messed up the prospects of the out of use Nigeria Airways. Actually these officials who are primarily appointed not profession officers could hide behind the cover of ‘official duty’ and would accumulate concession or free of charge tickets for their personal trips together with their families as well as friends.
Mr. Dayo Adeola Touch Down Travels’ Managing Director had attributed the challenge of Nigerian airlines to deficiency of straightforward aviation policies.
The director added that the policies keep changing from day to day among the various airport operators. Previously, when one would arrive in Lagos from an international country, they would board the Okada Airlines or any of the other local carriers to take them to the other parts of this country. Today, the local airlines are shutting down today because they are no longer being used by people.
