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George Oshogwe Ogbolu
Guest
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, has revealed that the shortage of operating airlines in Nigeria is the primary cause of flight disruptions and cancellations across the country.
Naija News reports that Achimugu made this statement during the Civil Aviation Conference held in Abuja, themed “Building a Viable Aviation Industry for National Economic Growth and Development.”
He explained that the recent signing of the Cape Town Convention and the Irrevocable De-Registration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) agreements could provide airlines with greater access to aircraft.
This development is expected to help reduce flight disruptions, lower airfare costs, and stimulate growth in both the aviation sector and the broader economy.
It is worth recalling that Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Chairman of United Nigerian Airlines and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had previously pointed out that the shortage of aircraft is a key factor driving up air ticket prices in Nigeria.
Achimugu also noted that both the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo and the Chief Executive Officer of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, had expressed concern over capacity challenges, which have hindered the aviation industry from delivering optimal services to passengers.
“We face a capacity issue in Nigeria. There simply aren’t enough aircraft to transport passengers across the country,” Achimugu stated. “The minister and the DGCA have previously acknowledged this, and hiding the truth won’t solve the problem.”
He continued, “While capacity problems exist, solutions are being implemented. The most significant is the signing of the Cape Town Convention and the revised advisory circular on IDERA. This will allow more planes to enter the country. With an adequate number of aircraft, flight disruptions will reduce automatically, as insufficient capacity is one of the primary reasons behind these disruptions.”
Achimugu further explained that when a flight is delayed or canceled, it impacts the entire day’s schedule, as airlines do not have enough alternative aircraft to maintain normal operations.
“If airlines had a sufficient number of planes in their fleet, these disruptions would not occur,” he emphasized.
He also mentioned that the NCAA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is working on adjustments at certain airports to help mitigate flight delays and disruptions.
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