Aviation
Troubled Sky: Foreign Airlines Run Into Stormy Weather On Nigerian Routes •Over $600m Trapped Naturally, Nigeria is supposed to be the hub of aviation in Africa because of its geographical placement, but wrong policy formulation and implementation, uncomfortable airport environment and lack of planning have taken away what appears the country’s birth right. Emmanuel Olisemeke presents an analytical examination of the troubled aviation industry in Nigeria.
their home countries. The foreign airlines’ funds trapped in the country’s banks grew to over $600m within the first seven months of the year and this generated-lot of crisis in the industry. In the wake of the crisis, two foreign carriers; Iberia and United Airlines suspended flight operations into Nigeria. Iberia cited its inability to repatriate ticket sales fund back to its home country and dwindling passengers patronage as some of the reasons it
had to quit the country’s route. United Airlines while announcing that it would quit the Nigerian route on June 30, 2016, mentioned poor financial performance, weakness in the energy sector and difficulties in sending home monies made from ticket sales as some of its reasons for the action. The airline, commenced scheduled operations to Nigeria on December 13, 2010 as a result of the open skies Continues on P94
THE Nigerian aviation industry has been in turbulent since the beginning of 2016. The first salvo that confronted this sub-sector especially the foreign operators in the year was their inability to repatriate ticket sales funds back to
BRAND VISIBILITY •DECEMBER 2017
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