Victoria Mgbanwa
Professor Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, who is also the Spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria has stated in an interview on AriseTv, that Lagos to Abuja should cost N250 thousand. Because cost in operations has increased.
He said “If you think tickets are expensive, then you probably don’t appreciate the sacrifices made by local operators. If we have to charge the fares, the way the costs are increasing every day, we should be paying not less than N250,000 from Lagos to Abuja,”
He stressed on the high cost of aviation fuel, characterising the excess charges to speculative practices. He also urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to play its part in making sure that the industry is stable by curbing these practices. He also called upon the newly appointed Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, to collaborate with other governmental bodies to identify and rectify obstructive elements within the system, which exacerbate the existing challenges.
He said, “You have naira and you can’t convert it to the dollar. So, the solution to this is for our minister to understand that we need a special window with the CBN to access foreign exchange.”
“There is no reason, no matter the international price of crude oil, that the aviation fuel should be delivered to the pump for more than N500. Everything you see on top of it is speculations and I am calling out on NNPC staff to set this country free.”
“The government and new aviation minister have to recognize the aviation industry as one of the essential industries in the country. It is no more for the rich only but a means of transportation.”
Also speaking on the challenges the industry is facing Professor Okonkwo emphasized on the currency disparity that local operators grapple with. Earnings in naira must cover significant dollar-denominated expenses, making the industry particularly vulnerable to currency fluctuations. So he urged the minister not to tamper with the existing regulations and institutional structures.
He said,”The current minister should not interfere with the regulations. We had a very terrible past where the regulatory employees were given employment letters from the Federal Ministry of Aviation. That’s absurd and unacceptable. So, let the regulatory system remain. Also, look into the latest appointments that were made before the end of the last administration.”
