Ameliorating the plight in our flights

Bilateral agreements that govern flight schedules and operations are usually signed between countries as it affects carriers from the participating countries. Not too long ago, I read about how Nigerian carriers are being marginalised and discriminated against to the extent of even breaching bilateral agreements that were initially signed as guidelines for flight operations between […]

Bilateral agreements that govern flight schedules and operations are usually signed between countries as it affects carriers from the participating countries. Not too long ago, I read about how Nigerian carriers are being marginalised and discriminated against to the extent of even breaching bilateral agreements that were initially signed as guidelines for flight operations between Nigeria and the UK/US. If Nigerian flights are not being allowed access to certain terminals or ports (partly or wholly), well, obviously for security reasons, then I am still further outraged at the reduction of the number of flights our carriers can operate in and out of the UK, a development that is in breach of International Aviation Agreements and Standards as per those flight operations from the onset. I followed with apt attention, pleas and calls by Arik Air to the Nigerian Government and to the NCAA (National Civil Aviation Authority) to wade in and rescue the plight that Arik Air was contending with regarding its flights in and out of the UK. Furthermore, illegal and additional charges robed in the name PFS (passenger fuel surcharge) are added to the costs and taxes that foreign carriers like BA (British Airways) and VAA (Virgin Atlantic Air) charge Nigerians for ticket fares. This kind of surcharge had been the subject of investigations in the UK and the US and the findings from the investigations have ultimately led to the airlines being fined by British and American aviation authorities for such sharp practices, including having to pay passenger refunds to the afflicted flyers of those routes with those airlines.

Interestingly and decisively, the now vibrant NCAA (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) has ordered BA (British Airways) and Virgin Atlantic Airways to pay Nigerian passengers $235 million for their sharp practises and violation of Nigerian laws governing their operations in the country, with the compensation to be repaid within a stipulated time. We have been charged unduly for over a year and a half and such charges were never authorised nor approved by the relevant regulatory bodies. One other critical misadventure regarding the flight operations of both BA and Virgin is the duopoly of direct flights to London from Nigeria with the duo running about ninety percent of the flights while still engaging in unscrupulous competitive ways. BA has before now, paid a whopping 300 million USD in the US as criminal penalty and a fine of 121 million pounds in the UK based on findings by the relevant government agencies of the two countries. The two airlines have also paid 204 million USD in compensation to passengers for the anti-competitive method of setting and conspiring to increase the passenger fuel surcharge, PFS. The said PFS is just an additional charge that goes to the pockets of the airlines illegally while denying the federal government legitimate taxes due to it from the surcharge as well.

The NCAA’s swung stick, did not only stop at curtailing those arbitrary and illegal charges, but it went as far as also rescuing some indigenous airlines as the NCAA had a face-off with the United Kingdom over the implementation of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement which was the reason why for example, Arik Air had its number of flights to the UK unfairly reduced and probably suspended to favour BA! Arik Air’s flight entries into the UK have now been restored to 7 per week, from the 5 it was earlier reduced to. BA would also continue to run its usual 7 flights a week into Nigeria. BA had also offered a 20 percent discount to its lower business class fares which the NCAA has found unacceptable as it insists that there is a regional imbalance in the cost of BA’s fares and says that the fares should be the same with the fares in other West African countries that are equidistant with Nigeria in terms of flight time to the UK.

Amidst gender and tribal sentiments, the appointment of Mrs. Stella Oduah was dogged and in the same vein, her drive to reposition the aviation industry by restructuring personnel and chief executives of the various organs of her ministry’s schedule was also bedridden with lashes of non objective flogging. Nevertheless, I am enthused by the recent developments in the industry of her purview and I am yet to either notice or hear of such remarkable achievements by any minister so far, especially achievements that are as far reaching as meting punitive measures on foreign air carriers for misconducts and also securing justice outside our shores  for Nigerians! She has done or started doing a good job, important to note that she is flanked by the right lieutenants, carrying out their functions efficiently. Delivery is always the problem in Nigeria and for now, we are beginning to count her deliverables. SA (Media) has continually furnished us with positive developments from the ministry and it is clear that the minister’s SA Technical is also doing a precise job of getting those results, whoever that is. The Director-General is on a collision course with operators in the industry as he seeks to ameliorate the pains and anguish of Nigerian passengers and with that, we are contented and also pray that he continues in the same light we have seen him in.

Tahir Ibrahim Tahir is Talban Bauchi