Following rampant cases of flight cancellations and delays in the Aviation sector, the Senate at plenary on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, (SAN) and other stakeholders in the sector.
The resolution was reached after the adoption and approval of a motion by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, who is representing Oyo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
Titled, “Incessant Delayed and cancelled flights by Airline Operators in Nigeria,” the Senator in his motion, drew the attention of his colleagues to the worrisome development.
Buhari noted series of reportage in both the prints and electronic media as well as the social media in the country, on the incessant delay and cancellation of flights by Airline operators in Nigeria.
He said the situation, ceaselessly seemed to be on the increase in recent time.
He said, “The Senate notes that this development is worrisome as air travel is one of the most reliable, dependable and quicker means of transportation.
“Air travels are often undertaken for business/official purposes and to keep to other scheduled appointments, which are usually time bound.
“Therefore, unwarranted flight delays and cancellations will be counterproductive to the socio-economic growth and development of this country.
“The Senate further notes that as part of interventionist measures to check unethical and unwholesome practices of the practitioners in the aviation sector, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), is statutory empowered, through the enactment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act, to among other things, provide oversight.
“It also produced guidelines aimed at ensuring that airlines operate within the contemplation of international standards in Nigeria and to ensure that airline customers get value for the services they pay the airlines for.
“The Senate observes that the quests for economic diversification and foreign direct investment, which are parts of the. current administration’s policy thrust, will remain an illusion if the country’s aviation industry falls short ofbacceptable best practices across the globe.
“The Senate is aware that part 19 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Regulations of 2023, makes provisions for consumer protection in the Civil Aviation industry in Nigeria.
“However, enforcement has been an issue as most Nigeriane. are not even aware that they are entitled to compensation for time lost due to unnecessary delay, hence the need for the NCAA to activate this aspect of its Regulation so that Airline operators will seat up and be alive to their responsibilities.”
The Senate, after a robust debate on the matter, therefore mandated it’s Committee on Aviation to invite the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to interface with its members.
Others mandated to appear before the panel included, Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority; Airline Operators and other relevant stakeholders.
The essence of the engagement is to among other things, unravel the circumstances behind the incessant flight delays and cancellations with a view finding lasting solutions to the problem.
The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno; the Minority Leader, Abba Moro; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; and the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, spoke in support of the motion.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo has accused some private aircraft owners of engaging money laundering, drug trafficking and other illegal activities with their jets

Speaking at the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja on Thursday, when he inaugurated a Ministerial Taskforce Committee to checkmate illegal chartered operations in the country the minister failed to name the airlines, he however asserted that the illegal activities have made the sector to lose billions of dollars and raised serious security concerns.

The minister further stated that some of those involved in the illegal activities are those who acquired licenses for non-commercial flight operations but went ahead against the stipulated agreement of the license.

Addressing the committee members, Keyamo mandated them to take inventory of all non-commercial flights operators, investigate all professional licenses and checkmate their authencity as well as recommend disciplinary measures against airlines found culpable.
The eight-man committee was chaired by the Chief Executive Office of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, and the committee is expected to report all findings to the minister within the next three months.

***N500m Will be saved annually

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has indicated that his ministry is going ahead with the relocation of the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.

“There is no going back. The directive has been given,” the minister said matter-of-factly on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday.

Senator Ali Ndume from Borno South as well as chieftains of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Northern Elders Forum ( NEF) and other northern groups had moved against the plan by FAAN and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), linking to a marginalise the north agenda

However, in line with current economic and operational realities, Keyamo said the movement of the headquarters of the airport authority to Lagos has become necessary.

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the movement of the FAAN headquarters would save the government and the people of Nigeria half a billion naira wasted on air tickets by officials of the Authority who have to commute from Lagos to Abuja and back.

The minister said top FAAN officials and aviation unions approached him that the head office of the authority be moved to Lagos for operational efficiency.

On whether President Bola Tinubu was aware of the decision or not, he said, “I take the decision; it’s a decision under the purview of a minister”.

He said only the headquarters of one of the seven aviation agencies in the country is being moved from Abuja to Lagos.

Keyamo said when his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, moved the headquarters of all aviation agencies from Lagos to Abuja in 2020, no adequate provision was made for the principal officers like the directors and the departments under them.

He clarified that the headquarters is where the decision-makers meet, not where the largest number of workers are and not where the biggest building is.

He said over 100 of the 132 workers at the head office are in Lagos while only the directors are in Abuja — without their support staffers.

Keyamo said the whole issue was compounded with the fact that FAAN is not yet digitalised and so, in one year, they spend half a billion naira on flight ticket between Lagos and Abuja alone.

“You see them flying every day to-and-fro Abuja to get one file signed. They fly everyday back and forth. In one year, they spent close to half a billion naira on flight tickets. N450m on flight tickets alone,” he said.