The vice president revenue management of Porter Airlines, Canada third largest airline, Chris Amenechi has called for the establishment of $30 billion infrastructure and industry diversification fund for the industry.
In his presentation during the first anniversary of Nigeriantravelmart.com in Lagos with the theme Leapfrogging Nigerian Aviation to match her potentials, Mr Amenechi in his presentation titled transforming Nigeria to be an aviation global leader stressed the need for a long term strategic framework to develop the industry.
Amenechi also called for astute technocrats, ambitious investors, and pragmatic regulators in the industry to take intrest in repositioning the industry.
Suggesting ways of promoting the industry which he tagged aviation 2045 , Amenechi enumerated key issues that must be taken into consideration to include delivering a long term strategic framework to develop the industry, Instill innovation, institutional foundations, standards, and relevant technology, build the continent’s best training and development institutions and grow the professional talent base, establish regulations that delivers safety, encourage economic growth, and industry diversification .
Others include, establish regulations that are patriotic to Nigerian customers, employees, and investors , embrace world leading bilateral/multilateral regimes that open Nigeria to “real investors”, ensure Nigerian entities can play globally in a favourable position, enforce the enabling laws that instill discipline in delivering the safest aviation industry globally and ensure the nation is carried along every step of the way, among others.
Vice President, Revenue Management of Porter Airlines, Canada enjoined the federal government to promote smart open skies globally.
He said Africa has a lot to to gain by embracing open skies and making the continent an open market.
Amenechi stated that the Nigerian aviation industry has significant commercial and infrastructure upside, stressing that it has the potential to drive significant export and income through visionary leadership utilizing natural talent.
“Unfortunately, the leadership over the last 30 years has not been consistent or visionary enough. The previous missteps have left it moribund for the most part so it is not a surprise Nigeria is lagging its global peers. The aviation industry can be one of the triggers to drive the nation’s economy by this and subsequent administration”, Amenechi said.
The country’s aviation industry according to the expert requires the appropriate leadership like what was experienced in the mobile communications industry after the advent of democracy in the country.
Forecasting the future of the carriers in the next 30 years, the airline chief predicted that two to four dominant Nigerian based carriers would emerge domestically, regionally, and globally.
