Posted by The PM News on
Former Director of Flight Operations, Nigeria Airways, Captain Dele Ore, has declared that private airlines operating domestic routes are using the wrong equipment. He stated that only propeller aircraft are the right type of equipment for Nigeria.
Former Director of Flight Operations, Nigeria Airways, Captain Dele Ore, has declared that private airlines operating domestic routes are using the wrong equipment. He stated that only propeller aircraft are the right type of equipment for Nigeria.
Captain Ore, while analysing the economic challenges of airline operations in the country, told Business Travel Weekly that 'the ones that will survive must go into propeller aircraft that will be efficient, that will be modern, and that can hop between airports.
'For instance, the aircraft should be able to hop between Owerri-Abuja, Benin-Abuja; Ibadan, Akure, Bauchi. All that area, and you can connect one another.' He said.
According to him, 'You can create Abuja as a domestic hub but you must have dominant type of carriers that will have several aircraft so that every hour , anywhere you are in Nigeria you are able to get to Abuja.
'Then night flights are important. An airline can not make money when all of the night all the aircraft are on ground. How can they make money when the aircraft are on ground when they are supposed to be in the air?
'There must be a project whereby aircraft can fly at night. I haven't seen any that is using the right size, that has the right number, that is looking at the right route, and is using the correct personnel and dedicated people,' Captain Ore added.
He warned that the various government policies in the country will not allow airlines to operate Lagos as a hub, noting that 'there are too many obstacles in form of government policies frustrating the airlines from operating Lagos as a hub'.