August 06, (THEWILL) – The Managing Director of Afri-Air International Limited, Capt Shehu Iyal, has disagreed with the impression given by some analysts that VIP (Very Important Persons) movement is one of the causal factors of delays in flight operations in the country.
Capt Iyal, who is also a one-time Senior Special Adviser on Aviation Matters to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, gave the insight during an interview at the 27th League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Conference with the theme: “Aviation Industry: Changing Times, Changing Strategies”.
According to Iyal, there was never a time that VIP movement is up to 30 minutes, adding that what happens, in most instances, is that it is not more than five or ten minutes.
He, however, concurred that there is a backlog and a buildup, which affects the airplanes that are on ground and that the control tower has to clear the airplanes that are up there before it starts clearing those on the ground.
Explaining further, Capt Iyal said: “I disagree with you totally. It is not possible. There was never a time that the VIP movement was 30 minutes because I was in the presidency and I was involved in some of those movements. What happens is, in most instances, it is not more than five or 10 minutes. But there is a backlog and a buildup and it affects the airplanes that are on ground. The control tower has to clear the aeroplanes that are up there before it starts clearing those on the ground.”
The airline operator also opined that there is a great leap and great fulfilment in the airline business in Nigeria, notwithstanding the circumstances and situation they found themselves in.
“And you can see the number of airlines we have today and you can see the facilities at the airports from what we had 10 years ago. You can also see the new planes that are coming in. The aircraft are quite modern, cost-effective and very safe to use,” he said.
Advocating for total concession in aviation, he added: “Well, my idea may not be the idea of everyone. But, I think the concession should be total. If I am going to take an airport and do the concession, and run it for a while, the concession should be total; not just the terminal. And when I mean total, I mean inclusive of the runways. People may have a contrary view, citing national security, but I think there can be a synergy between the company given the airport and the security and regulator. The most important thing is that we must have a very strong, efficient, well-trained, well-equipped regulator and then we can move forward.”
Advising on the way forward, Iyal pointed out that the government should look into taxation, stressing that there are too many charges in the system.
He, therefore, recommended that such charges should be streamlined or possibly reduced to enable operators to sustain their various businesses.
“If possible, some start-up companies can be given tax holidays because aviation business is capital intensive. So, if there is something like that, it will go a long way in helping to sustain businesses in the aviation industry,” he added.
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
