Aviation stakeholders have called for the current review of the Open Sky Agreements and the Bilateral Air Service Agreements, BASA with foreign carriers.
The stakeholders who articulated this point in a communiqué issued at the end of the 21st annual League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent, LAAC Seminar held recently at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Headquarters Annex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos with the theme: Achieving a Win-Win Aviation Sector in Nigeria also called for continuity of government’s policies irrespective of who is at the helms of affairs.
The stakeholders and participants at the event stressed the need for implementable government policies which will add to the growth of the industry.
“Government through its policies should device a means of attracting more air travellers to the industry to ensure a win-win situation in the sector.
The current high exchange rates in the industry should be looked into by the government”, the participants noted.
In the area of technology, the airlines were advised to ensure seamless operations by embracing modern technologies in its day-to-day services, including the the Simulation training for technical personnel which is done abroad and in foreign currencies, they urged the government to acquire state-of-the-art technologies for training of personnel in the country.
They stakeholders also called for reduction in taxes charged domestic airline operators as this would help reduce airlines cost of doing business.

For all the ongoing airport projects, that is remodelling exercise, the participants said the projects must be completed in good time.

“There is the need for the expansion of the cargo ramp at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos, that more people should be encouraged to export cargo out of the country, rather than the present situation, which is import based, that Nigeria must have clear development plans for its aviation and airport growth.
Security challenges within the airports should be enhanced to reduce stowaway incidents
There is a need for the re-establishment of a national carrier for Nigeria, but should not follow the model of the former national airline, Nigeria Airways.
The domestic airlines should be encouraged in the areas of accessibility to loans to boost their operations”, the participants pointed out.
The stakeholders in the communiqué emphasised that a win-win situation in the sector can only be achieved when the federal government ensures that none of the present domestic airline operators go into extinction through policy formulation and implementation, stressing that multiple entries for foreign carriers should be discouraged by the government

They maintained that to achieve a win-win situation, willing Nigerian carriers too should be allowed to fly into foreign gateways as is the experience in the country today.

Other issues contained in the communiqué, include, that there is the need for airlines to provide efficient and customer-centric services to airlines in order to increase passenger base, domestic airlines must wake up to their responsibilities to passengers through provision of quality services, there should be real waivers for domestic operators on imported spare parts and need for the government to stabilise the price of Jet A1 in the country.

In the area of training, the participants agreed that there is need for massive training of technical personnel for the industry, especially pilots in the country, adding that this will further save costs for the airlines and other organisations involved in training.
They stated that the training of personnel would help to reduce the current capital flight by foreign carriers out of the country.