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Worried by the crisis rocking the aviation industry in Nigeria, the Director, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Prof. Anthony Kila, has called for the creation of a special bank dedicated to the funding of aviation infrastructure and for the carriers, which are going through turbulent times.

Kila, who spoke at the just concluded League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC)  at the weekend, said it was necessary to make airlines have easier access to foreign exchange.

 

He disclosed that Aero Contractors was forced to fold the wings of its scheduled flights due to exorbitant and unsustainable expenditure, among other reasons, while Dana Air was forced to suspend flight operations over poor liquidity by the regulatory body, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

In his presentation, titled: “Passenger Experience In Daylight Airports,” Kila said with the present situation, it was not enough to have aviation funds from government or aviation desks in commercial banks anymore.

He said it was time to think of “activating an aviation bank that will raise and manage other funds and offer niche financial products for the aviation industry.

“With over 20 years in the industry, I can knowledgeably confirm that luckily, aviation is not a pauper’s business. Hence, finding depositors and shareholders will not be an insurmountable problem for capable promoters, but political will is needed.

“In the spirit of rethinking of and resting aviation, operators need to go beyond flying or selling and distributing tickets.

“it is time to represent their challenges as rewarding opportunities to capable innovators, inventors, and investors.

“Maintenance of equipment, refining of aviation fuel, training and development of human capital and other problems that are adversely affecting the sector can be thrown open to the market as opportunities for players outside the aviation sector.

“To do all these and much more, requires the ability to conceive, shape, and propose a rewarding and sustainable partnership between the public and private sectors,” he said.

He also noted that NCAA, besides enhancing safety in the industry, should, for the sake of consumers and citizens, be working as a clearing house for delayed or stranded passengers.

Aircraft positioning for take-off

He said they should ensure that stranded passengers of delayed and canceled flights could fly with the next available flights.

According to him, this is just as debit and credit card holders issued by one bank can easily withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of any available bank.

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