Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, has revealed that over 100 airlines have gone into extinction in the last 40 years.
He said the federal government is committed to stemming the tide, adding that the government has a responsibility to protect the domestic carriers to ensure their survivability amid the challenging operating environment.
Keyamo spoke in Lagos at the weekend during a dinner to mark the 10-year anniversary of Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier, which attracted dignitaries from all walks of life.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by the Minister of Transport, Senator Saidu Alkali; Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo, Alex Otti of Abia; Dikko Radda of Katsina; and the Oni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi Adeyeye were among the dignitaries who stormed the Eko Convention Centre for the programme.
Keyamo decried the high mortality rate of Nigerian airlines, adding that the federal government was determined to stop the trend among domestic carriers.
“If you look at the history of airlines in Nigeria, it is difficult for any of them to survive more than 10 years and still remain in business. We have a history of high mortality of airlines, more than 100 airlines in the last 40 years or so.
“So, you ask yourself, why they died. When I came to the office, I looked at this thing and I said, there must be something that is responsible for this high mortality rate of airlines. And then here you have Air Peace, after 10 years still looking fine, still looking healthy and actually on the rise rather than on a decline.
“In the last few months, I have approved a number of international routes for Air Peace. So, Air Peace actually is a proud ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a government, we are proud to support our local airlines, we are proud to support Air Peace in particular because they fly our flag very high all over the world. They are rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest airlines in the world.
Keyamo stated that the domestic carriers would begin to have access to dry lease aircraft following the recent implementation of the Cape Town convention, which protects the lessor’s assets.
He restated the commitment of the federal government to address the impediments against the growth of indigenous airlines, saying the recent implementation of the Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice direction would reduce operational cost and enhance competitiveness.
