The Federal Government has vowed to work towards empowering and supporting local airline operators in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this while speaking during the ministerial news briefing on the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s sectoral update.
He noted that local airlines operating in the country need the support and assistance of the federal government to create an enabling environment, which will in turn translate to ease of operations.
He stated that the government will also facilitate the acquisition of aircraft under a dry lease agreement, which, according to him, is cheaper compared to a wet lease.
“The government will support and empower all local airline operators, as it did with Air Peace, to enable them to compete with other international airlines.
“The government is making conscious and gradual efforts towards embracing eco-friendly practices and green technologies in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) long-term global aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions in the aviation sector.
“We are rehabilitating some airports and airstrips, enhancing collaboration with state governments to improve state airport infrastructure, and training and re-training aviation professionals (accident investigators, pilots, and air traffic controllers),” he stated.
Keyamo further noted that the government has planned to review the nation’s bilateral air service agreements (BASA) to favour local operators, adding that the government is in an advanced stage of discussions with investors across the world who would collaborate through public-private partnerships (PPP) in establishing the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Centre.
