Aviation stakeholders and professionals have called on the Ministry of Transport under whose purview the agencies operate a consolidated passenger statistics and ticket sales figure to re-evaluate the figures presented to the public due to the large differential when compared to figures given by independent bodies such as National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies and FOS.

While noting that this development has become imperative as the figures are used for planning, to attract investors and often times used for the assessment of industry performance, they stressed that the country must get it right.

In a communique issued at the end of Aviation Round Table quarterly business breakfast meeting in Lagos with the theme: ‘Evaluation and Security Performance of Aviation Agencies in the last four years’, the participants urged the NCAA to improve on economic regulation of the industry and review upwards, the two-aircraft, Air Operators Certificate, AOC condition for establishment of airlines.

As the federal government works towards the establishment of a new national airline, the aviation stakeholders also called for a level playing field to be provided for all players in Nigeria’s aviation industry to thrive.

The meeting emphasised the need for Increased inter-agency relationship on data gathering to avoid future conflicting figures in passenger, ticket sales and other necessary statistics.

The participants also called on the Aviation agencies to conduct a study on the role of owner-manager syndrome in the collapse of local airlines over the years, with a view to addressing it.

The agencies with technical shortfalls are advised to explore training opportunities in various fields as aviation waits for nobody.
The organisations are also encouraged to look inwards where human capacity is insufficient in line with the various Executive Orders on local content.

Other decision contained in the communique include: That the Nigerian judiciary should be notified on the implications of issuing court rulings that defy the Cape Town Protocol, an international agreement to which Nigeria is signatory.

That as the NCAA issues licenses for operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), there is a need to go beyond just licensing and putting measures in place to avoid incidence of drone jacking.

The stakeholders tasked FAAN in the communique to expedite the repair of night landing facilities of runway 18 left as a matter of urgent concern while they were also challenged to address the seeming mis-communication between it’s marshallers and pilots in command.

The breakfast meeting called on the government also to as a matter of urgency and critical safety concern address the shortfall in Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers.

It commended the AIB for improved technical training, equipment optimisation, international collaboration and the gradual release of accident reports.

The stakeholders enjoined AIB to go further by pushing for the implementation of safety directives as stated in some of the reports.