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From left, Moderator, Prof. Anthony Killa, Patron, (ASRTI) Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi and Former G/M, Corporate Affairs, Nigeria Airways, Mr. Chris Aligbe during the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) Quarterly Business Breakfast Meeting.
Posted by Sade Williams
The Aviation Round Table Safety Initiative (ARTSI), a non-govermental and pressure organisation, has called on Nigerian aviation professionals to project the nation’s aviation sector expectations into 2025 with appropriate implementation strategies in order to avoid a total surrender of the nation’s tangible and intangible assets to foreigners.
The group at its last edition of 2019 Breakfast meeting held at the Golf Hotel, Ikeja, last week, also asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to encourage Nigerian Airlines to restructure their business models towards a better passenger boarding experience and comfort to enhance business competitiveness beyond 2025.
Speaking for the group in a communique, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, advised that the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika to update the nation’s aviation policies and implementation strategies to align with current global aviation realities.
To this end, the meeting advocates the decentralization, digitalisation and devolution of the industry’s operations in preparedness for the anticipated aviation standards of 2025 and beyond.
The group said its members would continually champion research on pioneer professionals in each segment of the sector, and document them for historical purposes .
“Nigerian airlines should form alliances to develop and entrench commercial comparative advantage principles to enhance their survival beyond 2025.
“The government should continually ensure the provision of an enabling environment for the growth of aviation businesses to reduce incidences of the loss of Nigerian aviation professionals to other climes. The Minister of Aviation should direct a centralisation and harmonisation of aviation related infrastructure and data system as the industry approaches the future”, the group said.
The meeting recognised the need to reinforce the foundation of the Nigeria’s aviation sector to succeed beyond 2025.
It noted that the demise of numerous private airlines and the failure of government to effectively manage airlines in the past formed the basis for the meeting to advocate a less government intervention and involvement in the business and a relinquishment of control of the future to a business oriented visionary private sector.
It susequently called on the NCAA to review upwards the conditions of establishing airlines that will compete effectively by 2025.
“The nation’s airports should be upgraded and positioned to attract businesses that will take the airports beyond being mere ports to centres of tourism and commerce, and widen airports revenue sources beyond airport fees, charges and taxes.
To achieve this, the meeting advocated the concession of the airports, adding that there is a need to give more attention to the downstream sector of the nation’s aviation industry for the sake of the future, while also advocating the review of the compensation package for civil servants.
It noted further that there is need for more collaborative approach amongst government aviation agencies in projects implementations and operations in order to reduce incidences of duplication and wastage ‘as we look towards 2025’.