Shettima assures airline operators of better working environment

Barely a week after the signing of the Cape Town Convention (CTC) Practice Directions, Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured stakeholders in the aviation sector of the federal government’s commitment to creating a more conducive and better operating environment for airlines.

He lauded last Thursday’s signing of the CTC Practice Directions, describing it as a major boost for ease of doing business in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

Shettima gave the assurance on Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders in the aviation sector under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was part of the federal government’s bid to address foreign exchange issues and the backlog of payments with the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Hajj Commission and the Airline Operators of Nigeria.

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The Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, noted the fragile nature of airline operations, saying “Airlines are exceptional, and a little thing can take an airline out of the market.”

The Air Peace boss stressed the need for continued support for airlines in line with global best practices to ensure the sector’s sustainability and growth. “All over the world, airlines are supported to support the economy. It is not elitist,” he pointed out.

Onyema particularly praised the federal government’s bold step in signing the CTC Practice Directions on Thursday, which he said will have far-reaching effects.

“What you did on Thursday is going to open up this country to become an economic powerhouse,” he declared, just as he said the move would enable airlines to “start inter-connecting everywhere” and expand their reach across Africa.

“Even within Nigeria, you have just empowered the nation by doing that alone. In fact, the ease of doing business in the aviation sector is back,” the Air Peace CEO added.

Onyema also called for additional measures to support the industry’s growth, suggesting that the CBN can give airline operators a window within their system because of the problems of the time,” for airlines to navigate the current challenges.”

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the President on PEBEC and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said the meeting was fruitful, as the federal government continued to explore ways of enhancing the business environment in the country.

She said the stakeholders in the aviation sector will continue to engage each other, with a view to addressing challenges and making the environment conducive for improved investment and better service delivery to customers.

Present at the meeting were the Chairman of Azman Airline, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa; Head of Finance, Air Peace, Mrs Ejiro Eghagha; the Director of Risk Management at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Blaise Ijebor; and officials from the National Hajj Commission, among others.