Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, has said that 95 per cent of the causes of flight delays are not within the control of airlines.
Onyema, who is the vice president of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), lamented that operators were being demonised and de-marketed even by institutions of government over flight delays which were mostly beyond their control.
He spoke in Lagos on Thursday at the public presentation of a book, “Air Transportation In Nigeria: The Lingering Expectations,” written by two aviation journalists, Chinedu Eze and Olusegun Koiki.
The Air Peace chairman also threatened to suspend Air Peace flight to Gombe over the absence of scanners for screening of passengers and baggage.
He decried the absence of adequate infrastructure at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, saying about 10 airlines were using few check-in counters at the airport.
He said aircraft leaving Lagos for Abuja would experience hours of delays in Abuja before returning to the next destination.
“We have written to FAAN, in fact, the AON has written to the ministry on the issue of the Abuja check-in terminal. It’s crazy out there, nine or 10 airlines in one small space, it is not encouraging.
“However, a few days ago, the MD of FAAN spoke to me and said they were going to do something about it. What we are asking for is expansion. The old international terminal in Abuja is lying fallow. Some of us should go there so we have enough counters for check-in.”
On the Gombe airport, he said the airline was receiving support from the state government and had reached out to the airport authority to provide the necessary scanners for the safety of passengers and airport users.
