Senate Moves To Checkmate Foreign Airlines

The Senate last Tuesday urged its Aviation Committee to come up with recommendations to stop foreign airlines, operating in Nigeria from violating aviation laws and practice in the country.

The Senate had in March, 2012 mandated the Aviation Committee to investigate the lapses in the operations of regulatory agencies and the violation of laws by foreign airlines.

The committee submitted its report earlier on September 19, 2012 but was returned to the committee for further legislative work on the report to make it more specific and concise.

Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) decried the level of corruption in the aviation sector and to make a private airline a national flag carrier would deprive the country of huge revenue.

“Once an airline becomes a national carrier, every other airline that comes into the country pays a certain percentage to that national carrier.

Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia) raised the lack of patriotism on the part of Nigerians who continue to use government funds to fly American and European airlines rather than use indigenous airlines.

“I do not see why Nigerians are incessantly using government money to fly to America, Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries without using Nigeria’s national carriers.

In his contribution, Sen. Olubunmi Adetunmbi (ACN-Ekiti) observed that the Senate should find ways to strengthen the regulation framework in the aviation industry.

The Senate President, David Mark, said that the aviation industry was beset with irregularities due to lack of effective enforcement of existing laws by the regulatory agencies.

“The regulatory agencies are the problem. They are not doing what they are supposed to do. Even if the laws are weak they should do what they are supposed to do.

“There are questions, in my opinion, that you still need to go and ask and do more home work and bring critical recommendations,’’ Mark said.

The committee recommended that the EFCC should compel British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to pay the 135 million Dollars and 100 million Dollars fine respectively to the Federal Government.

It also recommended for the review of the economic and regulatory powers of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) through amendment of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006.

The Senate urged the committee to conduct comprehensive investigations and proffer critical suggestions to stop the violation of Nigeria’s aviation laws by foreign airlines operating in the country.