Barrister Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, is in pain that Nigerians are made to pay as much as N2.3 million for economic ticket for a flight to London, describing the development as a ripoff on the people and the Nigerian economy.
Allen further said that Air Peace is capable and ready to fly Nigerians and other nationals from Nigeria to London for as low as N500,000 while assuring that the services of the indigenous airline is even better than what the foreigners can give.
In a video clip seen by NationWide Saturday morning, Onyema said the Nigerian government has been trying its best to encourage indigenous airlines, especially through the Central Bank of Nigeria, adding however that something needs to be done to curb the arrogance and opportunistic tendencies of foreign airlines who are taking more than they home countries can offer indigenous operators.
The Air Peace CEO said-“As I speak to you, the UK is doing 21 frequencies into my country. They have not been able to respect Airpeace’s ordinary email. They even had the temerity to write us to say we should stop writing them. Whenever they are ready they will get across to us.
“Why are Nigerians paying N2.3 million for an economy ticket to go to London when Air Peace could have taken 500,000 Naira for the same trip.”
Onyema said in the last 25 years, Nigerians have been paying more than citizens of any other country for the same trip.
“The people from South Africa, nine hours away from London, have been paying less than Nigerians on a six-hour flight,” he stated.
Onyema also accused foreigners of failing to comply with the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), which provides for both repatriations of funds.
Onyema further said that the most important aspect of BASA is reciprocity. “Have these foreign airlines and their countries abided by that? Have they respected the BASA they signed with Nigeria? The answer is no.
“You know, the other time we fought one of the countries from the Middle East. They were doing about twenty-something frequencies to Nigeria, not even one to us. We had to fight for it.”
He also talked about the so called trapped funds, belonging to foreign airlines, adding that he wished they got their funds, saying however that it was not true that the funds were deliberately withheld.
“It pains me when Nigerians and some agents go on television, criticizing the federal government of Nigeria, saying that the government has failed, because foreign airlines didn’t get their funds. I support airlines in getting their funds. The Central Bank of Nigeria didn’t seize anybody’s money.
“They just wanted to get the exchange through the Central Bank’s official window. They could also go through the I&E window, which is a little bit more expensive.”
He added that the Central Bank of Nigeria has always supported indigenous operations and called on operators to start international operations in order to save money for the country, saying again, that foreign airlines do not allow them to come to their country to operate.