According to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, in order for Nigerian airlines to operate on US and other foreign routes, they must exhibit increased capacity and consistency as well as achieve the required requirements.
Through a phone conversation, Tunde Moshood, the ministry’s spokeswoman, informed the PUNCH that Nigeria was prepared to expand its presence in international aviation.
He mentioned that if they proved to be capable and reliable, Nigerian flag carriers Air Peace and Air Contractors might be able to open up routes to the US.
“We already have the BASA (Bilateral Air Service Agreements) in place. It is just for us to have any of our flag carriers that show capacity and consistency.
“If Air Peace and Air Contractors can come to us and say ‘I have a plane to go to the United States’, they can push.
“Qatar and all those airlines that are flying in here (Nigeria), we also have reciprocating BASA to fly. If they can come here, we can also go there. If we can have a national carrier, automatically we will be flying there,” he stated.
Recall that Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, declared in May 2024 that measures would be made to lower the cost of international flights and guarantee that local operators would control international routes, beginning with the United States.
He also described the steps being taken to guarantee that, in the not-too-distant future, local operators will have complete authority over international lines.
He continued by saying that his ministry was working to remove these obstacles and create an atmosphere that would support the growth of both domestic and foreign airlines under the President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Our correspondent was informed by United Nigeria Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer, Osita Okonkwo, that the company was moving closer to starting flights to Texas, USA.
“We are designated to go to the US, Texas in particular. We are going through the process. You know the CAA process can take three to six months. So, that is what we are doing now. We are doing the regulatory, legal, and the commercial side of it. Once that is done, we will make the announcements. It takes some time, but work is going on behind,” he explained.
However, Tayo Ojuri, Managing Director of Aglow Aviation Support Services, emphasised that Nigerian airlines must connect to and form alliances with international aviation networks like Oneworld or Star Alliance.
“These partnerships, known as codeshare agreements, are crucial for distributing passengers and sustaining long-haul routes.
“Which of the Nigerian Airlines have connectivity and codeshare with anybody else? That codeshare with either Star Alliance or Oneworld would help them to distribute passengers,” Ojuri noted.
