Air Peace, a prominent Nigerian airline, has emphasized the critical need for transit facilities at Nigerian international gateways, with a particular focus on the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The airline underscores that without these facilities in place, Nigeria cannot fully harness the advantages of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which seeks to promote greater connectivity and accessibility within the African aviation sector.
According to nairametrics.com, Nigeria and 33 other African countries like Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya and others have signed up to the SAATM.
READ: Africa: Nigerian Carrier, Air Peace Achieves 98% Schedule Reliability, 87% OTP in September
Speaking with journalists over the weekend, Mr Stanley Olisa, the Spokesman for Air Peace, said that the failure of Nigeria to have transit facilities for transiting passengers was limiting the performance of the country’s airlines on international routes.
Nigeria Immigration Service On Transit Passengers
The airline also said that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) needed to recognize the transit passengers in its operations.
He said: “Nigeria does not have transit facilities at international airports. Air Peace operates connecting flights such as Lagos-Banjul-Dakar and Lagos-Accra-Monrovia. Besides, Nigerian airlines are pushing that the Nigerian Immigration Service should recognize transit passengers and not insist that they obtain Nigerian visas before connecting their flights.
“We hope that things will change when a transit facility is built at our airports and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) is on the same page with us about transit passengers. That is even when we would be ready to benefit from the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).”
Member Of IATA Clearing House
The airline also said that in a bid to perform optimally on the international scene, it’s now in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) clearing house, stressing that it has the right equipment and personnel to operate international service.
According to him, Air Peace had what it takes to succeed on the international routes and had forged strategic foreign operational alliances to sustain its overseas operations.
The airline however emphasized that the point-to-point operational model does not hinder the growth of airlines on international routes.
The airline also appealed to industry stakeholders to comment on the myriad of challenges confronting the Nigerian airlines, rather than castigating them when they are faced with challenges.
Delays and Cancellation
On delays and cancellations, which are prevalent among the country’s airlines, Olisa pointed out that no airline deliberately delays flights or takes delight in cancelling its flights, but most of these happen due to some industry challenges, which were not in the hands of the airlines.
“Every airline wants to record a high percentage of on-time performance, but several factors cause flight disruptions beyond the airlines’ control. The Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has just announced harmattan haze in the northern part of the country.
“This will disrupt flights and soon come down to the south. Airlines suffer delays due to VIP movement; aircraft are grounded due to bird strikes. All these in addition to other factors beyond the airlines cause flight delays.
