The 24 foreign airlines flying into Nigeria are in dilemma on
whether to stop or continue flights into the country as the
Federal Government has yet to approve their summer
schedule, five days after the commencement of the summer
season on March 28, 2013.
It is illegal for any airline to fly into another country without
getting approval for its winter and summer seasonal
schedules from the host countries, aviation experts familiar
with the situation have said.
The approval is usually given days ahead of the expiration of
the current season’s schedule in order to avoid a situation
where an airline has to ground its flight operations while
waiting for approval.
Although most of the foreign airlines have begun
implementing their winter schedule, which has yet to be
approved by the Ministry of Aviation, a number of them are,
however, worried that the delay in the approval process may
put them in an unpleasant situation.
A country manager of one of the foreign airlines, who spoke
to our correspondent in confidence because of the sensitive
nature of the subject said, “We are in dilemma whether to
stop our flights to Nigeria or not because we don’t know why
the summer schedule has been delayed up till now. We
started implementing our summer schedule since March 31,
but we are very worried.
“This has not happened in a very long time. So, that is why
we are worried. The approval comes usually days ahead of
the commencement of the new season’s schedule.”
It was gathered that one of the numerous implications of not
getting approval for the schedule before flying was that in the
event of a crash or major accident, insurance companies
might refuse to pay compensation to the affected airline and
its passengers because such would be regarded as an illegal
flight.
The development has generated concerns among the foreign
airlines’ executives and top officials of the Ministry of
Aviation, who felt that any further delay might force some of
the carriers to consider halting their flight operations into the
country so as not to find themselves in an unpleasant
situation.
Findings revealed that the airlines’ winter schedules expired
between March 28 and 31, depending on each carrier’s
schedule.
It was further gathered that the proposed summer schedules
of all the 24 airlines were currently at the ministry awaiting
the approval of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.
Sources at the ministry, however, could not give reasons for
the delay, saying the minister had the final approval.
According to them, the final approval is usually given by the
Aviation minister based on the recommendations of the
Schedule Approval Committee comprising officials from the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority, and headed by a director in the ministry.
The chief executive officer of another major foreign airline
said, “We don’t know the reason for the delay this time
around. We have never experienced this kind of delay before.
All of us are just keeping our fingers crossed, looking at what
is going to happen.
“Well, we can’t stop our flights since they have not asked us
to stop. Neither can we continue the former (winter) schedule
because if we do so, our passengers from Nigeria will miss
their connections in our hubs in Europe due to the time
difference in the new winter schedule. And of course, Nigeria
alone cannot be operating a winter schedule in a summer
season.”
However, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of
Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, said Oduah had not refused to approve
the foreign airlines’ summer schedules, adding that they
would be approved very soon
Obi said, “The minister has not refused to sign the schedules.
There is a procedure and all schedules are currently being
processed. This is routine exercise and the minister has no
reason to withhold or refuse to sign them.
“But the process must be followed. In a short while, all the
schedules will be signed once the processes have been
concluded.”
Can this be possible????
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