Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Airline, Dr Allen Onyema, on Thursday called for strict implementation of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) without discrimination across boards.
Onyema made the call during the conference session of the 48th Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), held in Lagos.
The theme for the conference is “Unlocking Africa’s Economic Potential: Travel and Tourism as Catalyst for Intra-Africa Business, Investment and Trade”.
SAATM is a project of the African Union to create single market for air transport in Africa, with the aim to liberalise the continent’s aviation industry, transforming it into a single market by deregulating air services and opening regional air markets to transnational competition.
Onyema said for Africa’s economic potential to be fully unlocked, collaborative efforts must be made by Africans to address the lopsided implementation of SAATM.
He said the lopsided implementation of SAATM allowed certain African airline operators pay more charges compared to foreign airlines.
He said that apart from Ghana, all other African countries where Air Peace operates have continued to use exorbitant airport charges to frustrate the airline from operating in the African market.
“If SAATM is properly implemented, Africa will benefit immensely. Air Peace is not against SAATM, it is the lopsided implementation that we are against.
“SAATM has been screwed to the detriment of Nigeria airlines, this is unacceptable. A situation whereby other African countries come to Nigeria five times in a day and Nigerian airlines are not allowed to make such trips is unacceptable.
“We are made to pay as high as $12,000 per landing for ground handling charges, meanwhile Nigerian rate is not as high. SAATM will only work for everyone if we remove restrictions.
“We should not allow the outside forces to deal with us. No other country is as welcoming as Nigeria, so, we should stand up to fight for our right,” he said
Speaking further on unlocking the continent’s economic potential, Onyema advised that visa restrictions within African countries must be removed to enhance seamless travels.
“Another problem with SAATM is that there is no level playing field for all operators, some operators gain easy access to funding while some others do not.
“Some airlines access loans at 3 per cent interest rate while Nigeria is made to get same loan at 35 per cent interest rate, this is unfair. It is time we rise against these.
“Nigerian airlines are confronted with numerous, diverse bills to pay, we also contend with maintenance issues, paying salaries and many other things.
“Africa has to be deliberate in unlocking its economic potential in the travel and tourism space, formulate policies to conquer the second neo colonialism we are experiencing now.”
Also speaking, Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Humphery Geiseb, called on African leaders to address the shortfalls from SAATM.
He said Namibia had taken giant steps to ensure seamless travels to the nation by granting 16 countries visa waiver and providing visa on arrival to some other countries.
“Namibia is also in support of SAATM but we want African leaders to wade into the shortfalls to encourage seamless intra-Africa travels.
“In Namibia, we believe in the collective destiny of Africa, this is the reason we fly both Namibian flag and that of the African Union.
“We will never forget the contributions of Nigerians toward Namibian independence,” he said.
National President of NANTA, Mrs Susan Akporiaye, said in a bid to unlock the economic potential in the trade industry, she had led her members through series of training for innovation and on new streams of income. (NAN)