IKEJA – Mr Benjamin Okewu, the President, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), has urged the Federal Government to establish a national carrier for Nigeria.
Okewu made the call while speaking with aviation correspondents at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
He said that if established, the airline would project Nigeria’s image and boost its prestige in the global aviation industry.
He said that without a national carrier, Nigeria would continue to lose huge amount of money through capital flights from foreign airlines operating in the country.
He said that Nigeria had lost huge amount of money through its Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) with other countries since it does not have its national carrier to fly to major routes across the world.
“The only way the government can reduce massive capital flights and the crisis emanating from fare discrepancies among international carriers is for the government to float its national carrier,’’ he said.
Okewu declared that without a national carrier, the government would not be able to check the excesses of foreign carriers that violate the rights of Nigerian passengers with arbitrary increases in fares.
He urged the Minister of Aviation Mr Osita Chidoka, to complete all ongoing projects before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent administration.
