$800m Clearance: Foreign Airlines urged to open lower inventory tickets

The Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, AFARN, has urged the international airlines to open the lower inventory tickets to the travelling public as the Federal Government cleared the backlog of $800 million ticket sales of foreign airlines trapped in the country.

The association lauded the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development for the release of the trapped funds, which had lowered the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations in the past three years.

Speaking with some aviation journalists in Lagos on Tuesday, Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma, President, AFARN, said that opening of the lower inventory for travelers by the airlines would further boost business activities for the travelling public.

He said: “Similarly, AFARN also encourages the foreign airlines to start selling low inventory tickets to the flying public. This will not only boost the business in the industry, but would increase the number of air passengers.

“Therefore, we commend the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo for hitting the ground running and also the Central Bank of Nigeria for having a listening ear given the austere time the country is going through.”

The Nigerian travel agencies have in recent months accused the foreign airlines of shutting their Global Distribution Systems (GDS) against them.

The shutting down of the GDS automatically stops the travel agents who are regarded as the travel partners to airlines from booking flights for their clients through the platform.

The travel agents get some commission for each booking made for air travelers through the airline’s GDS. The commission varies from one airline to another.

Also, the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) had also accused the foreign airlines of exploiting the travelling public by hiking airfares.

Nwokoma further congratulated Air Peace on its plan to operate direct flight services between Lagos and London route.
AFARN canvassed for more Nigerian airlines to explore same option for more international routes.

He, however, emphasised that collaboration and alliances were key in world aviation and urged the country’s airlines to tap into these options.

Besides, he posited that the present administration was making effort in repositioning the aviation industry in the country.
For instance, he explained that the government was already developing the cargo sector with state-owned cargo airports springing up in order to simulate the economy and to also ensure that Nigeria goods were sold to the outside world.