President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), Mr Kingsley Nwokoma, has revealed that the Federal Government has paid a substantial percentage of the trapped foreign airlines funds.
This came just as AFARN encouraged foreign airlines to start selling low inventory tickets to the Nigerian flying public, in a bid to boost business in the industry and to increase the number of air passengers.
In a statement, Nwokoma, on behalf of foreign carriers, applauded the Federal Government for the payment of trapped funds and intervention in other industry issues.
He said, “To be precise, the last time we interacted, we zeroed our discussion mainly on the funds of foreign carriers trapped in our system, which of course is no longer news. The news however is that out of $800 million, substantial percentage of the funds has been paid to the affected airlines, even as the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, is making concerted efforts to ensure that foreign carriers operating into the country are not short-changed under any guise.”
Nwokoma also commended the aviation minister and the Central Bank of Nigeria, as he used the opportunity to congratulate Air Peace for venturing into the Lagos-London route, wishing that more Nigerian carriers would explore same option for other international routes.
Describing collaboration and alliances as key in aviation, the AFARN president pledged to continue to seek collaboration among operators.
He said, “Most of you are aware of what is going on in the cargo sector whereby state-owned cargo airports are springing up with the overriding intent to stimulate the economy and to also ensure that Nigerian goods are sold to the outside world.
“I am also aware that lots of standardisation, modernisation and procedures are being carried out to make operations simple and to also reduce bureaucratic procedures that make imports clearing and export forwarding friendlier to ensure the acceptability of international values.
“We owe it a duty to support those on the saddle. For once, let us all remember that whatever that comes from AFARN as a body is our own way of asking the government to be upbeat at all times to ensure that we are at the right place at all times.”
Nwokoma used the opportunity to announce the coming flagship annual safety summit programme of AFARN in the third quarter of the year, promising to announce the date later.
AFARN also pledged to be partners in progress in the country’s aviation industry, saying, “we have also taken it upon ourselves on yearly basis to assemble safety experts in the industry to canvass and deepen the issue of safety, which is the bedrock of our industry practice and the world over.”
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