Travel agencies call for single entry point for international airlines

The Federal Government has been urged to adopt single entry point for international airlines operating in Nigeria.
The President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Alhaji Aminu Agoha, made the call in a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday.
Agoha said in the statement that domestic airlines were facing unfair competition with the multiple entries given to international airlines.
Agoha stressed that except such policy was reversed, it may lead to untimely exit of local airline operators from airline business.
He expressed the belief that some domestic airlines would start closing their businesses if the situation was not urgently addressed.
Agoha said the predatory invasion of foreign carriers through multiple entry arrangement would continuously retard the growth of domestic airlines until the government re- examined the lopsided air transport policies and agreements.
He said: “The Federal Government should look inward as international airlines cannot add value to Nigerian economy.
“It is the duty of the airline operators to create jobs for Nigerians. If international airlines now have four entry points, what is left for the domestic airline operators?”
The NANTA president, therefore, urged the government to call for fresh review of all the international carriers’ multiple entry points into the country’s airports.
Agoha explained that a single entry point would ensure each international airline operated from only one airport in the country and partnered with the domestic airlines that would carry passengers to other airports.
“By so doing, the growth of our local operators will be enhanced as it will provide more jobs for Nigerians and reduce capital flight of international airlines,” he said.
Agoha said this would force the foreign carriers to extend technical assistance to the local carriers to strengthen their level of aircraft maintenance and personnel training.
He urged the government to always protect domestic airlines as advanced countries do rather than allowing them to erode Nigeria’s domestic air travel market.
NAN.