Senate Proposes Minimum Of Four Aircraft For Domestic Airlines

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, has proposed a four-aircraft minimum policy to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

Buhari made the proposal on Wednesday while speaking at the South-West Regional Air Transportation Summit, SWATS, 2024 theme: ‘Repositioning the Nigerian Aviation Industry for Financial Capability and Economic Viability’ organised by the NCAA in Lagos’.

He lamented the underperformance of domestic airlines, saying the current rate at which carriers disrupt flights was worrisome.

He therefore urged the NCAA to give airlines with less than four aircraft specific routes to which they should operate.

While advising Nigerians to inculcate the attitude of suing operators for flight disruptions, he argued that, “If airline owners have only two aircraft and can go to just two destinations, please concentrate on those routes and be professional about it.

“I remember that when Overland started with one small aircraft, we were only seven passengers. At the time, they were doing Abuja to Ilorin, Abuja to Ibadan and Ibadan to Lagos. They did well.

“Now, some airlines want to go to Kano, Kaduna with only three aircraft, it is impossible. This is where the agency comes in. Do your job the way it should be done so Nigerians will be happy.

“Nigerians do not want to see that the global rating has increased to 70.5. What they want to see is performance in domestic operations. The only way it can be done is when they are properly regulated.

“Nigerians have what is called thick skin. Because no one wants to offend the airlines, we take whatever they throw at us.

“Up till this time, I have not seen a single person that has taken an airline to court even if he or she won’t win.”

Senate Proposes Minimum Of Four Aircraft For Domestic Airlines is first published on The Whistler Newspaper