How foreign airlines may be violating Bilateral Air Services Agreement

…We’ll look into the anomaly,says Minister

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Following the disclosure that some foreign airlines bring two-way meals into Nigeria, some industry stakeholders consider the action a violation of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).

The Chairman, Board of Directors of Sky Chefs Things Remembered Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Adeola Omikunle, during her presentation at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos, said this action by some foreign airlines was adding to challenges faced by aviation catering companies in the country.

She claimed too that the action amounted to a rip-off of Nigerian aviation caterers.

Her disclosure, however, left many stakeholders bewildered as to the rationale behind the airlines bringing two-way meals from their countries to Nigeria, against the obvious fact that the meal for the return leg of their journey may no longer be fresh for human consumption.

Although many stakeholders conversant with the BASA agreements Nigeria has with other countries, said the agreements do not pertain to that aspect, the controversy opened the eyes of stakeholders to insert the clause that foreign airlines wishing to operate in Nigeria must patronize the country’s catering firms that have been certified to be world-class.

While some of the foreign carriers may have adopted their own two-meal option to cut costs, carrying of meals and water for a return journey may constitute additional weight to the aircraft, thereby consuming more fuel aside the possibility of lack of freshness even when heated up.

Nonetheless, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has promised to look into the matter with a view to addressing what he termed an “anomaly.”

Omikunle, however, stated that many of the foreign operators are their clients as their customers have relished their (Nigerian caterers’) meals – a situation, she said, that has helped to reduce costs for the airlines.

Many stakeholders and others have often queried the freshness of food served on flights with the answer hinging on a lot of factors such as the airline itself, length of the flight, and even the time of day.

In general, though, travelers expect food served on a plane to be less fresh than in a restaurant.

International food safety standards allow airlines to freeze food for up to five days before serving to passengers.