The Federal Government has initiated steps to empower Nigerian airlines with direct access to international routes, specifically targeting the United States and South American countries.
This development was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, during a YouTube interview titled “Unfiltered: The Big Interview,” viewed by our correspondent on Saturday.
Keyamo highlighted that the government is focused on securing Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) to facilitate these new routes. He explained, “BASA are negotiated between different sovereigns. Once secured, these agreements allow us to grant reciprocal rights to our local operators, ensuring they are enforced similarly to those of foreign entities.”
On March 20, Air Peace commenced its Lagos-London flight services. Building on this momentum, Keyamo emphasized the government’s plans to open direct flight operations to both the US and South America. He underscored the significance of competition in the aviation market, noting that monopolies like British Airways had previously dominated routes, resulting in exorbitant ticket prices for Nigerians.
“British Airways have enjoyed those routes for so many years unchallenged. Local airlines were muscled out, causing ticket prices to soar to as much as N15m to N16m for business class. By enforcing BASA and ensuring Air Peace could fly these routes, we saw immediate price reductions,” Keyamo stated.
He added that other lucrative routes are being considered. “We are looking at the American and South American routes. No airline currently flies directly to South America, but plans are in the works to start that route soon,” he said.
Keyamo also stressed the importance of enhancing the capacity of local airlines to service these new routes.
“One thing is to give them the routes, but how do we enhance their capacity to service those routes? We need to ensure they have access to aircraft in the same way big airlines do. Most airlines around the world do not own their fleets outright; they lease them. About 80 per cent of their planes are on dry lease,” he explained.
The Minister assured that the Federal Government is committed to supporting local airlines in accessing these leasing arrangements, thereby bolstering their capacity to operate on international routes effectively.
This initiative is expected to significantly enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian airlines on the global stage and provide more affordable travel options for Nigerian passengers.
