There are indications that Airline operators in Nigeria have considerably reduced daily flights to the South-East and South-South corridors, particularly the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.
Managements of the Airlines, aware of this development, attribute it to lack of technically fit aircrafts owned by available operators to service some routes, including low air ticket bookings, high cost of Jet A-1 aviation fuel and the issue of sanctioned airlines.
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Some air travellers and residents of Port Harcourt who spoke to AIT.live however believe there is more that meets the eyes while others attributed the development to the prevailing economic challenges in the country.
Years ago, the Port Harcourt International Airport also known as Obafemi Awolowo International Airport, even with a makeshift international wing, as the main wing was under construction at the time, was a beehive of aviation activities with several airlines operating multiple in-bound and out-bound flights, daily. However, that seems to have changed.
Today, only two or three domestic flights are recorded daily with perhaps one or two weekly international flights. Could this be as a result of few ticket bookings with less travellers using the airports? A political economist, David Briggs and a university don, Professor Richard Wokocha express divergent views.
David Briggs explains further that the situation at the sea ports in Port Harcourt is not different which according to him corroborates his assertion concerning the Port Harcourt International Airport but Professor Wokocha says what is playing out is simple economic comparative advantage.
In a bid to get some perspectives from Airport operators at the Port Harcourt International Airport to give reasons for the fall in business, the available operators would not answer questions.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
