FG Urges Foreign Airlines To Reconsider
The Federal Government has appealed to foreign airlines to reconsider their decisions. This is amid huge speculations that the airlines are in the process of suspending their operations in the country.
The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made the appeal when he hosted Emirates West African Regional Manager, Manoj Gopi Nair in Abuja.
Monetary policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government have made it difficult for the airlines to repatriate earnings to their home countries. This has made some of them to downgrade their flight frequencies to Nigeria, while a few others have totally halted their operations in the country.
According to a statement from the Aviation ministry, Sirika told his guests that the country will soon overcome these challenges. He said government is working to ensure the creation of an environment that is both enabling and profitable for the airlines to operate.
The minister also recalled the recent concession given to airlines by the CBN. This is to enable the carriers to procure the required forex to clear the backlog of matured obligations.
He said the government was not unaware of the issues that had created operational difficulties for both domestic and foreign companies, such as unavailability of foreign exchange, aviation fuel shortage and infrastructural deficiency.
