The
24 foreign airlines flying into Nigeria are in dilemma on whether to
stop or continue flights into the country as the Federal Government has
yet to approve their summer schedule, five days after the commencement
of the summer season on March 28, 2013.
It is illegal for any airline to fly
into another country without getting approval for its winter and summer
seasonal schedules from the host countries, aviation experts familiar
with the situation have said.
The approval is usually given days ahead
of the expiration of the current season’s schedule in order to avoid a
situation where an airline has to ground its flight operations while
waiting for approval.
Although most of the foreign airlines
have begun implementing their winter schedule, which has yet to be
approved by the Ministry of Aviation, a number of them are, however,
worried that the delay in the approval process may put them in an
unpleasant situation.
A country manager of one of the foreign
airlines, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence because of the
sensitive nature of the subject said, “We are in dilemma whether to stop
our flights to Nigeria or not because we don’t know why the summer
schedule has been delayed up till now. We started implementing our
summer schedule since March 31, but we are very worried.
“This has not happened in a very long
time. So, that is why we are worried. The approval comes usually days
ahead of the commencement of the new season’s schedule.”
It was gathered that one of the numerous
implications of not getting approval for the schedule before flying was
that in the event of a crash or major accident, insurance companies
might refuse to pay compensation to the affected airline and its
passengers because such would be regarded as an illegal flight.
The development has generated concerns
among the foreign airlines’ executives and top officials of the Ministry
of Aviation, who felt that any further delay might force some of the
carriers to consider halting their flight operations into the country so
as not to find themselves in an unpleasant situation.
Findings revealed that the airlines’ winter schedules expired between March 28 and 31, depending on each carrier’s schedule.
It was further gathered that the
proposed summer schedules of all the 24 airlines were currently at the
ministry awaiting the approval of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella
Oduah.
Sources at the ministry, however, could not give reasons for the delay, saying the minister had the final approval.
According to them, the final approval is
usually given by the Aviation minister based on the recommendations of
the Schedule Approval Committee comprising officials from the Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and
headed by a director in the ministry.
The chief executive officer of another
major foreign airline said, “We don’t know the reason for the delay this
time around. We have never experienced this kind of delay before. All
of us are just keeping our fingers crossed, looking at what is going to
happen.
“Well, we can’t stop our flights since
they have not asked us to stop. Neither can we continue the former
(winter) schedule because if we do so, our passengers from Nigeria will
miss their connections in our hubs in Europe due to the time difference
in the new winter schedule. And of course, Nigeria alone cannot be
operating a winter schedule in a summer season.”
However, the Special Assistant (Media)
to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, said Oduah had not refused to
approve the foreign airlines’ summer schedules, adding that they would
be approved very soon
Obi said, “The minister has not refused
to sign the schedules. There is a procedure and all schedules are
currently being processed. This is routine exercise and the minister has
no reason to withhold or refuse to sign them.
“But the process must be followed. In a short while, all the schedules will be signed once the processes have been concluded.”
Punch
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