The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) is intensifying lobbying on the Federal Government in a bid to secure increased welfare and stimulus packages for survival of business operators in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
To this end, the industry’s apex regulator is working in close collaboration with relevant governmental agencies including Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to ensure that adequate support is provided for operators in the aviation industry to enable them survive and overcome impacts of Covid – 19 global health pandemic
Unfolding the organization’s plans towards resumption of domestic flight operation by airliners on Wednesday, June 8th, the Director General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu explain that currently the agency was engaged in close consultations with Central Bank authorities on the provision of a single digit, long term loan facilities to various sectors of the aviation industry to assist them survive impact of the pandemic.
The Federal Government, acting the CBN had recently approved a N27 billion economic stimulus intervention fund for the aviation industry, but speaking recently via an online media interactive progrm monitored in Lagos, the NCAA boss said efforts were on to secure increased amounts in the form of grants by government and favorable loan facilities for operators in the aviation industry.
.“So far, efforts are been made to increase the amount of grants by the government and the various government MDAs. We are also having consultation with the Central Bank on the provision of single digit long term loans to the various sectors of the aviation industry to assist them survive. So I think it’s going to be quite a considerable amount of economic pipeline coming to the entire industry”
“So efforts are been made to ensure that adequate support is been given to the entire industry, and when I say the entire industry it’s not only the airlines, it’s the whole value chain of the industry, the airports, the people that work in the airport, and not to forget including the NCAA”
On the proposed plan by some airliners to effect 50 percent hike on air flight charges, the NCAA boss was quite unspecific as to when the proposed hike would come into effect, but cautioned that for airlines to effect such increases they must have to first seek approval from the industry regulator, NCAA.
He said that towards the resumption of domestic air flights measures had been put in place by NCAA to ensure technical safety of flights as well as spelt out regulatory guidelines to be implemented by the airlines against possible spread of COVID – 19.
According to him, NCAA was acting in conjunction with relevant stakeholders such as Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Federal Ministry of Health and World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure that all measures were put in place to eliminate and minimize spread of the Corona Virus within Nigeria’s air transport system.
“I want to assure all the travelling public that the NCAA will not authorize any operator, whether an airline or the airports including service providers which is Nigerian Airspace Management Authority, all ground handlers, that airlines will not be authorized to resume operations until they meet these requirements and we will confirm that to be true before they are authorized to resume operations”
On the issue of social distancing within the airports, he explained that the NCAA was observing compliance to the stipulated guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation which is premier aviation regulatory body in the world on the issue of physical spacing within an aircraft.
He said “What we are trying to do in Nigeria is that, the NCAA in consultation with the health authorities, we want to come out with a single guideline for all Nigerian airlines. But we will ensure they comply with all health and technical protocols to ensure safety of the traveling public” .
