Vice President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Onyema, lashed out at government organisations for demonising and undermining the airline industry in response to flight delays that were frequently out of the company's control.
He spoke on Thursday at the Lagos book launch of "Air Transportation in Nigeria: The Lingering Expectations" by Olusegun Koiki and Chinedu Eze, two aviation journalists.
The chairman of Air Peace has threatened to halt operations in Gombe due to a lack of scanners for examining travellers and their belonging.
Ten airlines were reportedly making do with a small number of check-in booths at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, he lamented.
He asserted that flights from Lagos to Abuja would be required to wait hours before moving on to their next destination.
We have written to FAAN about the Abuja check-in kiosk, and the AON has written to the minister. Nine or 10 airlines crammed into a small area is insane; it's not encouraging. However, the MD of FAAN spoke with me a few days ago and said they would take action. Our request is for expansion. In Abuja, the outdated international terminal is vacant. We should all go there so that we have adequate check-in counters.
When questioned about the Gombe airport, he stated that the airline was receiving assistance from the state government and had requested scanners from the airport authority to assure the security of travellers and airport staff.