Cargo merchant blames FG for local airlines’ demise

The Managing Director of Merchant Express Cargo Airlines, Capt. Shina Akinfenwa has blamed the Federal Government for the consistent close of shops by Nigerian airlines.

This is as he declared that no Nigerian in the country today could successfully manage an airline due to their lack of deep knowledge about airline management.

Speaking with some select aviation journalists in Lagos, Akinfenwa lamented that the government over the years had not been protecting the local carriers, rather, he said the policies of government has been favourably to international carriers.

One of the policies according to him, is the designation of multiple entry points to foreign carriers.

He insisted that since Nigeria doesn’t have reciprocity to most of these destinations, one would have expected the Federal Government through its policy to compel the foreign carriers to land in one point in Nigeria and interline with local operators for the distribution of their passengers to their destinations.

As of today, Nigeria has 90 Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) with countries while it could only reciprocate about 10.

He said: “Government policies over the years have not been helpful to the industry, vis-à-vis passengers operations have not been helpful to Nigeria especially domestic operation. This is a general concern to the Nigerian people. The international carriers have been encouraged and assisted to have multiple destinations in Nigeria.

“You will expect foreign airlines to land in one major airports in the country and interline with the local carriers to transport their passengers to their final destinations, but sadly, that is not so in Nigeria. The only passengers available to Nigeria are just within the country. We don’t have reciprocating airlines to fly into most international routes.”

On the management of local airlines by their owners, he emphasised that there is no Nigerian that is capable of managing an airline successfully.

Akinfenwa argued that no airline in the country was set up to be successful by their sponsors, stressing that most promoters of airlines set them up for egoism.

He maintained that airline industry was capital intensive and required in-depth knowledge of the industry for such a carrier to be successful.

“People with little or no knowledge of the industry just pump in their money and just start flying. Aviation is a specialised area. If you don’t have your eyes on the ball, you will never be successful.

“Aviation is a specialised area and we have been making same mistakes all the time. The fact that you are a good pilot, successful captain or a perfect engineer, doesn’t mean you can make a successful airline administrator. This is a degree course in the university abroad. We don’t have such people in Nigeria.”