By NAN
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had urged domestic airlines to go into partnership with their willing foreign counterparts through code sharing agreement in developing Nigeria’s aviation industry and strengthening their operations.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu gave the advice at the 27th edition of the annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference is with the themed: “Aviation Industry: Changing Times, Changing Strategies.”
Codeshare agreement, also known simply as codeshare, is a business arrangement, common in the aviation industry, in which two or more airlines market the same flight under their own airline designator and flight number (the “airline flight code”).
Typically, a flight is operated by one airline (technically called an “administrating carrier” or “operating carrier”) while seats are sold for the flight by all cooperating airlines using their own designator and flight number.
Nuhu said until Nigerian airlines embrace collaboration, they would continue to remain fragmented and less competitive with mere individual identities.
Nuhu, represented by its Director, Airworthiness Standards, Mr Gbolahan Abatan, said they should avoid the slogan of ‘I want to do it all alone’ as reflected in their lone-wolf operational tactics.
“Synergy, collaboration, cooperation or merger is the rule of the game. I want to encourage Nigerian airlines to avoid I-want-to-do-it-alone as reflected in their lone-wolf operational tactic.
“While I want to appreciate our operators for a job well done in terms of the spirit and the impact.
“I urge airlines to partner with their willing foreign counterparts through code sharing in developing Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“I remember that at a phase Air France interlined with Aero Contractors. By nature and approach we should manifestly embrace collaboration.
“Also the local airlines should also exhibit sustained commitment lest average Nigerian carriers become ever more fragmented and less competitive with mere individual identities,” he said.
Nuhu said the aviation was global they had no choice than to keep aviation working by adopting workable initiatives and rightful changing strategies to contend with ever-changing times.
The DGCA said though he knew the path was somewhat bumpy with financial dire straits calling for concerted efforts.
He said let him repeat again that the current fate of the aviation industry could not be treated in isolation of the economic environment that it was operated.
Nuhu said what was happening to aviation was happening to all sectors, hence all these challenges notwithstanding, as the regulator, safety remains a priority, non-negotiable and it supersedes all other considerations for them.
He said the regulatory was neither a police agency of the industry nor in existence to close airline businesses.
The NCAA boss said the regular was willing to support the airlines to get out of the woods.
In his opening remarks, the LAAC Chairman, Mr Olusegun Koiki said poor airports infrastructure, flight cancellations and delays without compensation in line with regulations were products of a downplay of interest of the flying public.
Koiki said these boomerang on the image of the aviation industry in the country.
He said this was not exactly how aviation works in other climes today, hence industry players need to do things differently, saying that times had changed and they must change their strategies. (NAN)