The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) has said the aviation industry requires accelerated recovery plans for it to overcome its current challenges caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rector of the college, Capt. Alkali Modibbo, made this known in a communique issued during the 25th Annual Conference and Award Ceremony organised by the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos on Friday.
The theme of the conference was Nigeria’s Aviation Industry: Management, Policy and Regulation.
Modibbo noted that the sector at present required direct injection of continued financial support, provision of credits, offer of deferrals and discounts on charges and most especially concessions.
The rector lamented that globally, the airline sub-sector was facing a “throat-cutting” competition especially from low-cost airlines amidst dwindling passengers due to the pandemic.
He said: “In Nigeria, the airline sub-sector has continued to face unpredictable cost, due to the devaluation of naira against the international currencies and irregular availability of aviation fuel.
“It is regrettable that these among others, added up to the operational cost and technical of airlines.
“Hence, operational services deteriorated when normal flight services were resumed, followed by frequent scheduled flight challenges and exorbitant ticket prices.
“This could be a symptom of the larger financial strain that airlines currently face. Fortunately here in Nigeria the airlines are tremendously picking up tempo with an encouraging passenger turn out.
“Governments and donor institutions should provide the funds to ensure the survival and the business continuity of key stakeholders of the aviation industry as recommended by the African Aviation Industry Group (AAIG) in 2020.”
Madibbo, however, lauded the Federal Government for investing in infrastructure across the various airports, despite the plans to privatise or concession the aerodromes.
The rector also urged the operators to emulate their counterparts across the globe by adopting merger and aircraft leasing.
He said this would further help them to address the challenges of competitiveness and financial capacities, standardisation of sanitation and safety issues and norms to increase customers’ confidence.
Modibbo noted that the college needed to upgrade its curriculum in tune with the current situation of heightened operations, security, sanitation and the digital transformation of the industry.
The rector explained that the institution needs to look deeply into the changes, which the aviation value chain was undergoing.
He said this was to enable them design the training requirements that would critically produce the workforce a post-pandemic aviation industry would require.
