The operators of Nigeria’s domestic airlines have been assured by the national government that their challenge of lack of foreign exchange (forex) will be addressed.
Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika gave the assurance when members of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) led by their chairman, Nogie Meggison, called on him in the national capital, Abuja, on Monday.
Sirika dismissed the allegation by the domestic airlines that preference was being given to operators of international airlines in sourcing forex.
He had visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to resolving the issue.
On the issue of shortages of JET A1 aviation fuel, Sirika said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had assured of its readiness to re-position the country’s refineries to produce the product.
The minister said his ministry was discussing with the Ministry of Finance and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to ensure that waivers on aircraft and its parts were sustained.
Sirika said the federal government would review some of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) it signed with different countries to ensure that they were beneficial to Nigeria.
He promised that the government would create a level playing field for all airline operators in the country by ensuring that their plights were ameliorated.
Tags: Nigeria’s domestic airlines
