By Dickson Omobola
Following growing interest by some state governments in establishing airlines without first obtaining an Air Operator Certificate, AOC, but partnering with carriers that hold the licence, Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has said their entry is not a problem, provided they comply with existing rules and regulatory requirements.
An AOC is a formal authorisation issued by a national aviation authority that permits an organisation or state to perform commercial air transport operations.
AON, however, warned that if government failed to enforce compliance and regulatory standards across board, it could undermine the confidence recently rebuilt by new-breed operators and damage the country’s aviation reputation.
Spokesperson for the association and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, said this at the airline’s fifth anniversary celebration in Lagos.
He said: “For us, we believe that the sky is large enough to accommodate as many airlines as possible. But obviously, it is not good for the industry if certain compliances and regulatory requirements are not met. The new breed operators have worked so hard to rekindle the confidence and interest of the aviation world and bring them back to Nigeria. I think it is a reputation we have to guard jealously. Anything that is contrary will bring us back to square one. That is not good for us and our investment. It is not good for government.
“The more, the better. But let the rules be applied. Let there be no preferential treatment. I don’t know what motivates them (state governments to start airlines). I don’t know their business model, but we should all understand that to some states, operating an airline is beyond commercial purpose. When we say that an airline is a catalyst, it is an enabler. It is the beginning of other good things to come. They might have other things behind it. We are not against it, but let it be done according to rules.”
On whether United Nigeria has benefited from the recently signed Cape Town Convention Practice Direction, he said: “We have a lot of promising discussions going on in that direction, but you know, aircraft is not something that is like in the warehouse where you can pick. By the time this agreement was made, a lot of these lessors had their aircraft committed with different operators.
“It will take a while, but we are aware and we have been promised and we are going to get into agreement with some lessors so that we will be one of the beneficiaries of the first set of aircraft that would come in from them.
“We see this more or less materialising to a very fruitful position for the year 2027, when some of the aircraft already committed will return to the lessors because the Original Equipment Manufacturers, OEMs, now are meeting some of their manufacturing expectations.”
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