Reps Move to Investigate State of Airports, Airlines, Agencies

Juliet Akoje

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committees on Aviation, Human Rights and Commerce to investigate the state of Nigeria’s airports, activities of the airline operators and the coordinating agencies in the aviation sector.

The committee are expected to report back to the House within

Eight weeks.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the poor performance and high charges by airline operators in Nigeria moved by Hon. Simon Elisha Karu, at plenary on Wednesday.

Karu, during his presentation noted that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) places aviation within the legislative competence of the National Assembly and by virtue thereof, the National Assembly enacted the

Civil Aviation (Repeal and Enactment) Act, 2006 and established the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as the regulator of the aviation sector in Nigeria.

He said the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is statutorily charged with the responsibility to manage commercial airports in Nigeria to provide service to the passenger, cargo airlines, create a

conducive environment for efficient management of air transport services and promote economic development in the country.

Adding that airlines authority has a duty to provide customer assistance and services towards ensuring that passengers get conducive and hospitality environment as well as to get the right information relating to their bookings and adequate flight schedule amongst other duties.

According to him, the International Air Transport Association (lATA) Economic Reports 2020, which states that the air transport industry in Nigeria, including airlines and its supply chain, were estimated to support $600 million of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria despite the enormous potential of the industry in Nigeria.

“Nigerians have not enjoyed domestic air travel due to constant delays and cancellation of flights with impunity and change of airline departure time contrary to regulations of the NCAA and in contravention of International Aviation Standards, recently, the burden of domestic air-travellers in Nigerians was increased by the sudden 120 per cent increase in local airfares in the country.”

“The Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) lamented the deplorable state of the airport in Nigeria and in an interview, the controller stated that the airport authority needs at least 600 to 650 ATCOs for effective management and monitoring of the control tower as it is dangerous to have just one controller on duty,” he said.

He further explained that Lagos Airport had issues with the automated common user check-in platforms been shut down, on the other hand, the foreign airlines are conducting a volume of passenger facilitation by improvising alternative platforms to check-in passengers and necessary screening, the system shutdown led to chaotic scenes in all the four international airports – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, but it was later learnt that the foreign automation company, State Information Technology Agency’s (SITA) 10-year contract with FAAN expired in May 2021.

“Nigeria has the most expensive price regimes of local airfares with ticket rates doubled in December 2021, an economy class seat which cost about N33,000 now goes for N75,000.00 and the average return trip for an economy class domestic flight in Nigeria is about N 121,000.00.

“The welfare and the security of the people is the primary purpose of government and to this end, parliament enacted the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, (FCCPA) 2018 to promote fair, efficient and competitive markets and protect the rights of all consumers in Nigeria.

“Despite the mandate of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Council (FCCP) Nigerian consumers continue to be exploited by local airline operators, making it imperative for the House to extend its oversight to the Aviation Industry, particularly on the exorbitant charged by local airline operations in Nigeria,” he stated.

In a related development, the House of Representatives also urged the Ministry of Aviation to quickly consider expansion of major airports across the country to accommodate the upsurge in the population of air travellers and repair of all escalators in airports across the country.

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Aviation, FAAN and NAMA to address all issues causing unnecessary delays and inconveniences at major airports and ensure hitch-free flight operations across the country.