AVIATION MINISTER BLOCKS AIRLINE FROM ABUJA

Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah has denied
approval for some foreign airlines to extend their
services to Abuja airport in addition to Lagos
where they now operate, sources told Daily
Trust in Abuja. A senior government official told our reporter
that three foreign airlines—Emirates, Turkish and
Etihad—have sought approval of the Nigerian
aviation authorities to begin commercial flights
to Abuja but the minister “has refused to grant
the request.” Instead, Mrs. Oduah told them to consider flying
to Enugu, so as not to overstretch the facilities
in Abuja. A spokesman for Mrs Oduah confirmed to Daily
Trust that the minister has asked the airlines to
“explore the opportunity of extending their
operations to Enugu” instead of concentrating
in Abuja and Lagos. The three airlines which now operate to the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport,
Lagos, sought for approvals to be landing in
Abuja as a second destination in Nigeria because
of the increasing number of passengers they get
from the capital city and other parts of the North. “Some of the requests have been filed over a
year ago to the Federal Ministry of Aviation but
no approvals have been given,” the source said. “When they met with the minister few weeks
ago, she queried why they insisted on Abuja as a
second destination. “She instead told them to commence flight
operations to Enugu airport. But they told the
minister that they have high number of
passengers wanting to have a direct flight from
Abuja.” The aviation minister then suggested another
option to the three airlines which is that she
would link them with local airlines that will fly
their passengers from Abuja to Enugu for
onward boarding of their international flights
out of the country. The source said the minister’s decision appeared
to put the North at a disadvantage, especially
given that only Egypt Air now flies to Kano after
KLM ceased its service to the Malam Aminu Kano
International Airport. When contacted for comment, the minister’s
special assistant on media, Mr. Toyin Okpaise,
said it was in an effort to ensure the
diversification of airline operation in the country
that the minister asked the three airlines to
explore the opportunity of extending their operations to Enugu rather than concentrate in
Lagos and Abuja. “Even if they think most of their customers are in
Abuja, they can still operate from Enugu and use
domestic flights to connect the passengers to
Abuja,” he said. “That way, we shall develop our local airlines and
make all the airports busy. It is the duty of the
minister to ensure that flight operations are not
allowed to concentrate in just one place.” When contacted, Managing Director of Turkish
Airlines, Mr. Ali Bulut, said he would not speak
about the details of their discussions with the
regulators because the regulators are co-
operating with them. He said talks have advanced and he is positive
they would be given approval. He also declined to
disclose the specific conditions the regulators
have given them before they could be allowed to
fly into Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,
Abuja. Our correspondent could not get a response
from Emirates Airlines, which is a United Arab
Emirates company, as an email sent to them was
not replied. An official of Etihad, also a UAE airline, told our
reporter in Lagos that the company has not
applied to fly into Abuja. But in August 2008, Etihad announced its plans
to begin service to Lagos and Abuja in the first
quarter of 2009. “The four-times-a-week service
will employ an Airbus 330-200 aircraft, which
can accommodate 262 passengers in a two-
class configuration while carrying 14 tonnes of cargo,” said a report in a United Arab Emirates
newspaper, The National. “The route will fly in a triangular pattern with
flights from Abu Dhabi flying to Lagos first and
then onwards to Abuja, before returning to the
UAE capital, the report said, quoting James
Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad, who added
that the service would particularly target West African travellers coming to the UAE for trading,
shopping and holidays.