Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah has denied approval for some foreign airlines to extend their services to Abuja airport in addition to Lagos where they now operate, sources told Daily Trust in Abuja.


A senior government official told our reporter that three foreign airlines—Emirates, Turkish and Etihad—have sought approval of the Nigerian aviation authorities to begin commercial flights to Abuja but the minister “has refused to grant the request.”


Instead, Mrs. Oduah told them to consider flying to Enugu, so as not to overstretch the facilities in Abuja.

A spokesman for Mrs Oduah confirmed to Daily Trust that the minister has asked the airlines to “explore the opportunity of extending their operations to Enugu” instead of concentrating in Abuja and Lagos.

The three airlines which now operate to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, sought for approvals to be landing in Abuja as a second destination in Nigeria because of the increasing number of passengers they get from the capital city and other parts of the North.

“Some of the requests have been filed over a year ago to the Federal Ministry of Aviation but no approvals have been given,” the source said.

“When they met with the minister few weeks ago, she queried why they insisted on Abuja as a second destination.

“She instead told them to commence flight operations to Enugu airport. But they told the minister that they have high number of passengers wanting to have a direct flight from Abuja.”

The aviation minister then suggested another option to the three airlines which is that she would link them with local airlines that will fly their passengers from Abuja to Enugu for onward boarding of their international flights out of the country.

The source said the minister’s decision appeared to put the North at a disadvantage, especially given that only Egypt Air now flies to Kano after KLM ceased its service to the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.

When contacted for comment, the minister’s special assistant on media, Mr. Toyin Okpaise, said it was in an effort to ensure the diversification of airline operation in the country that the minister asked the three airlines to explore the opportunity of extending their operations to Enugu rather than concentrate in Lagos and Abuja.

“Even if they think most of their customers are in Abuja, they can still operate from Enugu and use domestic flights to connect the passengers to Abuja,” he said.

“That way, we shall develop our local airlines and make all the airports busy. It is the duty of the minister to ensure that flight operations are not allowed to concentrate in just one place.”

When contacted, Managing Director of Turkish Airlines, Mr. Ali Bulut, said he would not speak about the details of their discussions with the regulators because the regulators are co-operating with them.

He said talks have advanced and he is positive they would be given approval. He also declined to disclose the specific conditions the regulators have given them before they could be allowed to fly into Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Our correspondent could not get a response from Emirates Airlines, which is a United Arab Emirates company, as an email sent to them was not replied.

An official of Etihad, also a UAE airline, told our reporter in Lagos that the company has not applied to fly into Abuja.

But in August 2008, Etihad announced its plans to begin service to Lagos and Abuja in the first quarter of 2009. “The four-times-a-week service will employ an Airbus 330-200 aircraft, which can accommodate 262 passengers in a two-class configuration while carrying 14 tonnes of cargo,” said a report in a United Arab Emirates newspaper, The National.

“The route will fly in a triangular pattern with flights from Abu Dhabi flying to Lagos first and then onwards to Abuja, before returning to the UAE capital, the report said, quoting James Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad, who added that the service would particularly target West African travellers coming to the UAE for trading, shopping and holidays.

http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/index.php/other-sections/lead-stories/175412-minister-blocks-foreign-airlines-from-abuja-

Wow! Dats very thoughtful of d minister! Its a very Very good idea to enticed/pressure the airlines to operate from enugu...and what are they saying dat they have more customers from d north! Dats a lie joor...most travellers are from the east/south....go to MMA and see how onitsha main market/ariaria/ogbete guys troup to dubia china india etc on a daily basis...

This means the enugu airport facilities is compeleted or about to be completed for d minister to tell them to consider operating from enugu! I love her for doing dis! We can't have an eastern minister for aviation and enugu international airport is underutilized...I support you 100% on this my minister.

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the destination choice supposed to be based demands from users? If many of those flying into Lagos are in fact customers who want to land in Lagos, why should the airline instead take them to Enugu?

fly to enugu to do what. dont they know that routes are determined by traffic - Only viable routes in Nigeria remains lagos and Abuja ,

I have 2 issues with the comments here... 1. Can't we do anything in this part of the world without resorting to ethnic sentiments? 2. Nigeria is not made up of Abuja and Lagos alone.. For pete's sake consider other parts of the country At least no boko over there..

We need Emirates flights from Abuja, abeg oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Is she from Enugu ?

Kobojunkie: Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the destination choice supposed to be based demands from users? If many of those flying into Lagos are in fact customers who want to land in Lagos, why should the airline instead take them to Enugu?

How many African airlines fly to multiple destinations in western countries?How will you promote you own domestic airlines?Who is making profit the country where the airlines come from or your country?Enugu is not a bad idea.

Very thoughtful of the Minister

am for free trade and all but why open these routes for international airlines. Why not encourage them to partner with Nigerians to open those routes...

olas2u:

How many African airlines fly to multiple destinations in western countries?How will you promote you own domestic airlines?Who is making profit the country where the airlines come from or your country?Enugu is not a bad idea.

You are not making any sense at all here. What does it matter how many airlines fly to multiple destinations? When do Africans realize that to promote your own, you about destroy all advantages you have when you resort to draconian methods? What does it matter who makes the profit where the airlines come from? Please put a cock in your bias box there and try to come back down to reality.

You do not FORCE people to fly to Enugu when they do want to fly to Lagos or Abuja. What will end up happening is people with likely find themselves ways around this and that might lead to these foreign airlines pulling out completely.

~Bluetooth:

Is she from Enugu ?

SHE IS AN IGBOTIC WOMAN.

this is a normal practise is many countries ,not all international flight got to all major cities,let the foreign airlines partner with the local airline to bring their passengers to whereever they have approval for .this will help the local airlines too

This isn't right, you can't force people to fly where they do not want to. How can I come into U.S. and choose to land at Dulles, rather they will tell me NO, you have to go through Atlanta first. That doesn't make sense. There are certain industries that need govt protectionism, while others needs to be left to fierce competition. Why can't our airports be privatized so that there's competition from all corners?

IMO, she ain't getting it right, that's just dead wrong, she needs to reverse her policies, after all, Abuja is their demand. If facilities are overstretched, what people do is build more facilities. That's how many large airports came to be today.

Very brilliant idea by our minister. this way the traffic on the two major airports in Nigeria will be reduced, thus providing business to the other airports and also it will help more local airlines through flight connection.

kudos ma'am

Kobojunkie:

You are not making any sense at all here. What does it matter how many airlines fly to multiple destinations? When do Africans realize that to promote your own, you about destroy all advantages you have when you resort to draconian methods? What does it matter who makes the profit where the airlines come from? Please put a cock in your bias box there and try to come back down to reality.

You do not FORCE people to fly to Enugu when they do not want to fly to Enugu. What will end up happening is people with likely find themselves other ways, to get around that and that might lead to these foreign airlines pulling out completely.

Your methodology of reasoning represent conscience and free-will and not corporate business acumen with focus on wealth creation. I am sorry to say that if you run a business with this mentality it might end up being hand-to-mouth and/or charity. Futuristic business development has profiteering principles and you seem not to understand that. In a layman's word: You cant feed a stranger and keep your family hungry.

Very good job Honourable Minister, they should go to Enugu. After all, when Airlines go to Kano no one talked, now she directed them to Enugu, some fools are tribalising the issue. I support your good sense of administration.

Nigeria's present day 'Rumour Peddling' Journalistic Industry.'source' said dis, 'source' said dat..reading tru d article shows clearly dat d real sources interviewd(the govt officials and even airline official- not d anonymous 'source') neva said d airlines were barred 4rm entering Abuja(or d north) but dat they re trying to encourage dem to use oda 'international' airports in d coun3 instead of conc and overstretching Lagos nd Abuja airports . It is exactly when you are negotiating airspace permits dat these kind of conditions are given...hw can a minister overseeing d reconstructn and remodeling of 11 airports spread all over d nation, wit Kano International Airport bn d only complete one while odas are still about 70-80% complete be against d north(she shld hv delayd Kano). People just like to bring ethnicity/region to every thing in dis coun3.shame on Dailytrust and dat anonymous 'source'

It is highly unlikely airlines would accept the Enugu route, who would pay for the empty seats - Another ill thought concept from dodgy Minister. If i were the mInster , i would simply introduce soft terms in the contract saying any airline wanting an Abuja or Lagos landing spot should also consider acquiring landing spots at other local airports.

blacksta: It is highly unlikely airlines would accept the Enugu route, who would pay for the empty seats - Another ill thought concept from dodgy Minister. If i were the mInster , i would simply introduce soft terms in the contract saying any airline wanting an Abuja or Lagos landing spot should also consider acquiring landing spots at other local airports.

That is exactly why she is negotiating wit dem... Read d article itself, and stop tking d titles of reports so seriously

blacksta: It is highly unlikely airlines would accept the Enugu route, who would pay for the empty seats - Another ill thought concept from dodgy Minister. If i were the mInster , i would simply introduce soft terms in the contract saying any airline wanting an Abuja or Lagos landing spot should also consider acquiring landing spots at other local airports.

I hope they don't

Looking at the issue, i feel her intent as a true Nigerian is to force these foreign airlines to explore and use other airports in the country so as to drive traffic towards these other regions. not just Enugu alone.

Business wise,It makes sense for the foreign airlines to only concentrate on where their huge traffic comes from which is lagos and once they add Abuja airport to the list which is the final destination of most Northers, it means less business for some of the local carriers.

From this, i deduced that she wants the best for the industry...Or she can collect bribes from em foreign airlines and allow em do business the real capitalist way.

Excellent decision by the Minister.....Same happens in developed countries.

“Some of the requests have been filed over a year ago to the Federal Ministry of Aviation but no approvals have been given,” the source said.

“When they met with the minister few weeks ago, she queried why they insisted on Abuja as a second destination.

“She instead told them to commence flight operations to Enugu airport. But they told the minister that they have high number of passengers wanting to have a direct flight from Abuja.”

The aviation minister then suggested another option to the three airlines which is that she would link them with local airlines that will fly their passengers from Abuja to Enugu for onward boarding of their international flights out of the country.

The source said the minister’s decision appeared to put the North at a disadvantage, especially given that only Egypt Air now flies to Kano after KLM ceased its service to the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.

When contacted for comment, the minister’s special assistant on media, Mr. Toyin Okpaise, said it was in an effort to ensure the diversification of airline operation in the country that the minister asked the three airlines to explore the opportunity of extending their operations to Enugu rather than concentrate in Lagos and Abuja.

“Even if they think most of their customers are in Abuja, they can still operate from Enugu and use domestic flights to connect the passengers to Abuja,” he said.

Imagine how insensitive that is, coming from a Government official. So, people should be subjected to two flights or more rather than the direct flight they choose to pay for?? And what of additional costs that will likely be incurred in this exercise? Nigerian people pay too, right?

Nice move from the aviation minister.

Kobojunkie: Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the destination choice supposed to be based demands from users? If many of those flying into Lagos are in fact customers who want to land in Lagos, why should the airline instead take them to Enugu?

No ma! It is not. Read up the case against Virgin's airline operating in America. You can also extend your reading to cover non-aviation issues and read up the hurdles non American companies pass through before berthing in America. Read CNOON, Dubai Ports, Rupert Murdoch and a host of others.

The big question would be- why hasn't UAE accorded Arik Arik its application to fly direct to Dubai? Why is it only Abu Dhabi that was given Arik Air?
These guys are cut throat in their business operations and yet they want to benefit even more from the Nigeria market!

The aviation minister then suggested another option to the three airlines which is that she would link them with local airlines that will fly their passengers from Abuja to Enugu for onward boarding of their international flights out of the country.


See why this thing get as he be - who would pay for the Onward travel from Abuja to Enugu because i want to fly out of the country.

Very very good from the minister. She had a very good point. They should consider enugu and not just concentrate in lagos and abuja. Meanwhile, ppl here who dislike her direction should go and hug the nearest transformer. Enugu international airport will soon be the busiest since 50% of nigerian travellers are from east. Here in south africa, and considering the number of eastern guys here, no one will fly lagos when enugu starts operating. I also know its like these in many other countries. Its very hard to reach east from lagos when you just land the country and some times, you sleep at the airport waiting for the next day to come for you to make your move since you came late. So they will beg to fly to enugu when the demands will be made from easterners including some from south south.

blacksta: The aviation minister then suggested another option to the three airlines which is that she would link them with local airlines that will fly their passengers from Abuja to Enugu for onward boarding of their international flights out of the country.


See why this thing get as he be - who would pay for the Onward travel from Abuja to Enugu because i want to fly out of the country.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with people connecting an international airport through a local flight. People in the east have been connecting to Lagos and Abuja ever since they were denied an international airport. Infact, they are a good part of the so called demand in Lagos. Who paid for their flights from Enugu to Lagos? Now that there is an International Airport in the east, others should connect to Enugu, it should benefit from new opportunities of patronization. If you do not want to go through Enugu, you still have a choice of an airline that flies from where ever you want. She has not asked all airlines to move to Enugu. She only asked new applicants to use the new facility instead of congesting existing older ones (avoiding the kind of congestion Apapa Port suffers from today)

abeg break the useless country, can you imagine!!

Ol'boy!

Good news!

Enugu here we come.

I have no business flying to Lagos or Abuja.

Enugu will be 1st choice for many passengers (>70%) and PortHarcourt 2nd choice.
Some could prefer 1st choice Portharcourt and 2nd choice Enugu.

Abuja and Lagos, no show.