“Airlines With Valid AOC Will Benefit”-NCAA DG

There is cheering news that the Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the sum of N5 billion through the Ministry of Aviation, to cushion the effect of Covid-19 on the operations of Nigerian airlines and other allied services such as ground handling companies.

A source who prefers anonymity said the fund was approved this week. On how the fund will be distributed, the source further explained that N4 billion will be given to domestic airline operators (Cargo operators, scheduled passenger airlines, and helicopters operators) who are with valid Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I will give domestic airlines N4 billion and others such as ground handlers will get N1 billion. The beneficiaries on the airlines’ side are the ones with valid Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) because they were impacted by the pandemic and you know the impact on aviation is huge globally,” the source said.

The source further clarifies that the fund differs from that which is being coordinated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). “This is different. The airlines have already concluded documentation with the CBN on that. This is the one the Minister of Aviation is facilitating,” he said.

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika had several times during briefings of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 relayed that the government is working on supporting the industry including the airlines and others with palliative.  He said on the palliative that, “It is already yes.”

During a chat with aviation journalists recently in Lagos, the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu said any airlines can apply, but the government has its policy on it. “The issue of palliative is a policy of the federal government been driven by the minister of aviation and they have their guidelines and one of it is that you must be functioning and performing airline before you get any palliative, that is all I can say if you don’t have an AOC, the AON I believe also have their guidelines, they are also part of the input and know who and who will get these palliatives from the guidelines. I don’t expect them to put airlines that are not functioning into that list. I can guarantee you from the government side, if you are not functioning, forget it, you can try your luck. That does not mean you are going to get it.”