DR. GABRIEL OLOWO,PRESIDENT AVIATION ROUND TABLE(ART) X-RAYS AVIATION IN 2021, PREVIEWS 2022.
Aviation Review 2021.
Q & A
1. How do you assess the aviation sector in 2021.
A : Aviation in 2021 started with fresh hopes as the devastating effect of Covid 19 (which hit the world economy between Feb/ March 2020) began to show gradual decline and airports are beginning to open in phases.
Thanks to medical researchers, discoveries and advancement in medicines for vaccines , protocols and other remedies.
Aviation business was beginning to crawl between 10/30%, YOY in Q1 till mid Q2,2021 . Q3 was growing steadily to almost 75% 2020, YOY when different variants of Covid 19 known as Delta and now Omicron raised its ugly head. Discriminatory border closures, visa regimes and Covid protocols disrupted growth once again.
Another big disincentive to travel and travels began to nose dive once again.
Sadly, Performance returned to Q1 levels especially this December Q4 and one only hopes the decline does not continue
into 2022.
2. What has improved and what is left on done
A : Improvement is as stated in 1 above. I will imagine nothing has been left undone as peoples world over do yearn to have their life back but for the so called global disaster called covid. Riots and Protests have been witnessed in economies where you least expect. Total Closure of airports and boarders is daily resisted as if people prefers to die rather than go hungry. There’s Covid fatigue everywhere. See football Premiership in Europe
for instance and economics of full stadia every other day there’s a game.
3. Do you think COVID-19 has affected the development and investment in the country’s airports.
A : ABSOLUTELY YES .
4. What are your expectations for 2022.
A: One should possitively look forward to 2022 with great hopes that Omnicron variant will not metamorphose into another variant or any other plague as
such that will impact life so negatively like Covid 19.
5. How would you advise government on how to attract investment in the aviation industry
A: 1 Government should continue to address issues of insecurity and its adverse effect on Nigeria country risk assessment. The country risk speak volume on economic index measurement.e g. exchange rates, insurance premiums, pricing, inflation, etc.
2. It should stay clear of ” doing
business ” but provide business friendly environment and ease of doing business. The language is on the lips but experience shows the situation is growing worse ( home and abroad) . Government agencies see business tasks as a disruption of their schedule rather than a fulfillment of it. How can one explain passport renewal taking forever for instance? Aside internal trade, Businesses cannot thrive without inter economy movement. This should however, not be taken in isolation.
Businesses hitherto under
“exclusive clause” should be opened to investors , anything short of this will continue to encourage illegal and sharp practices.
3. Government should prioritize spending on Security and thereafter on Welfare of citizens. i e spending on Health care, Infrastructure deficit on housing, roads and education.
Recurrent expenditure spending should be cut and made lower than Capital expenditure which demands huge reduction in the size of governance.
4. Our media should make deliberate effort to sell the
destination Nigeria rather than its challenges which is not uncommon in any economy.
. Do you think government can achieve national carrier by April 2022 as claimed.
A : I’m not worried about time of entry or exist of any carrier, my earnest desire is to see the emergence of strong,efficient, globally competitive Nigerian Flag Carriers. The weight thrown by Government on Air Peace/ Emirate commercial negotiations in UAE disagreement is a confirmation that Nigeria already
endorsed that flag Carrier by throwing its weight behind them. A commendable Aero Politics indeed. It was so with Arik Air before its demise.
I am trusting that the same steam will be deployed to sanitize all the ROUTES which posts negative trade balance to Nigeria viv a vis BASAs till date. No thanks to corruption.
Government should go its full hug to all DESTINATIONS served by all COUNTRIES hitherto in preparation for additional 1 or 2 more Nigerian Flag Carriers.
Forget the nomenclature National or Flag carrier. The experience of operators a la Nigeria Airways is history. To see NIGERIA AVIATION flourish again remain my focus.
THANK YOU.
