Less than 48 hours after t.he Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo directed Air France to airlift stranded Nigerians dropped by the airlines at the Gnassingbe Eyadema international Airport, Lome, Togo to Abuja , the Nigerian government has threatened not to approve a summer schedule for the airline.
The threat was made at a stakeholders’ meeting held in lagos with the theme ‘Transforming the Aviation Industry.
The Federal Government said the foreign airlines ought to patronise Nigerian businesses to enable those companies thrive, create jobs and aid the boosting of the nation’s economy through aviation industry
The Summer schedule which is expected to kick-start last Sunday of March and ends the last Saturday of October, is designed for airlines’ take-off and landing rights approval to operate at particular airports and in line with the International Air Transport Association, IATA .
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Keyamo expressed dissappointment over the exclusion of Nigerian caterers in the foreign flight operation services in the country.
The Minister also revealed at the event that North-east will soon have an international airport, as the Maiduguri Airport, now Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, Borno state is currently being upgraded to meet international standards.
He however observed that while many countries in Africa have airlines established by their government, it is only in Nigeria that the private sector run airlines, explained that the government is working to facilitate access to international financiers to help Nigerian carriers have access to credit facilities at single digit interest rates.
