LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has stated that Nigerian airlines need to show enhanced capacity, consistency, and compliance with necessary standards to qualify for operating flights to the US and other international destinations.
Speaking to The PUNCH, the ministry’s spokesperson, Tunde Moshood, stated that Nigeria aims to enhance its international aviation footprint.
He noted that Nigerian flag carriers, such as Air Peace and Air Contractors, have the potential to establish routes to the United States, provided they show sufficient capacity and consistency.
āWe already have the BASA (Bilateral Air Service Agreements) in place. It is just for us to have any of our flag carriers that show capacity and consistency.
āIf Air Peace and Air Contractors can come to us and say āI have a plane to go to the United Statesā, they can push.
āQatar and all those airlines that are flying in here (Nigeria), we also have reciprocating BASA to fly. If they can come here, we can also go there. If we can have a national carrier, automatically we will be flying there,ā he stated.
In May 2024, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced initiatives aimed at lowering international flight costs and enabling local airlines to dominate international routes, beginning with the United States.
He outlined various strategies to ensure that domestic airlines would soon take a leading role in international aviation routes.
He added that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the ministry is working to remove obstacles and create a favorable environment for both local and international airlines to thrive.
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The Chief Operating Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Osita Okonkwo, informed PUNCH correspondent that his airline is making progress towards launching flights to Texas, USA.
āWe are designated to go to the US, Texas in particular. We are going through the process.
You know the CAA process can take three to six months. So, that is what we are doing now.
We are doing the regulatory, legal, and the commercial side of it. Once that is done, we will make the announcements. It takes some time, but work is going on behind,ā he explained.
However, the Managing Director of Aglow Aviation Support Services, Tayo Ojuri, emphasized the importance of Nigerian airlines forming connections and partnerships with global aviation alliances like Star Alliance or Oneworld.
āThese partnerships, known as codeshare agreements, are crucial for distributing passengers and sustaining long-haul routes.
āWhich of the Nigerian Airlines have connectivity and codeshare with anybody else? That codeshare with either Star Alliance or Oneworld would help them to distribute passengers,ā Ojuri noted.