The Managing Director/ CEO of Aero Contractors Limited, Captain Ado Sanusi, yesterday, said recent infractions Nigerian carriers – ValueJet and Ibom Air – had with unruly passengers were part of the systemic problems occasioned by financial fragility plaguing Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Sanusi who spoke to THISDAY yesterday in Lagos, said there was gradual disconnection in the aviation industry, adding that this has to do with the fact that both the airlines and the aviation agencies were facing the challenge of inadequate funding.
He noted that while the airlines operate with very thin profit margins, facing difficulty in accessing funds at high interest rate, aviation agencies since the Buhari administration have been remitting money to the federal government coffers, leaving them with limited funds to carry out the obligations required of them in the services they provide in the industry.
This, he said, has given rise to paucity of funds to run the aviation industry and as a highly regulated sector, airlines must meet given standard of operation to be certified to operate; while aviation agencies have to provide adequate airport infrastructure, airspace management equipment in the areas of communication, navigation and surveillance equipment to ensure safe flight operation.
“It has become distressingly clear that recent incidents, ranging from a passenger being violently restrained for allegedly refusing to switch off her phone, to cases where individuals wield ‘celebrity status’ to avoid accountability—are not isolated occurrences but symptoms of a far deeper issue in our aviation industry,” he added.
Sanusi therefore advised that to solve the protracted problem, the industry should go through an overhaul, which includes the review of the regulatory framework, enunciation of new and effective regulatory framework with adoption of more pragmatic strategy in its implementation.
“At its core, the problem stems from airlines operating on razor-thin profit margins. Financial fragility, not only of the carriers, but also the regulator, means the system is brittle, reactive, and often unjust. Instead of a surface-level fix, what’s needed is a holistic, systemic overhaul: start with a rigorous review of the regulatory framework and enforcement culture, scrutinise how airlines and service providers are monitored and held accountable, and build mechanisms that protect passengers’ rights equitably,” he said.
The Aero Contractors boss said that these systemic problems must be tackled at their roots in order to avert future calamity and also discourage arbitrariness in dealing with unruly passengers in air travel in Nigeria.
“If we fail to do this, tomorrow’s headlines will feature the same disturbing behaviours, merely dressed up differently. It’s time we stopped papering over cracks, and get to the root,” Sanusi stated.
