COVID-19: Aviation industry faces collapse

Due to the massive effects of Covid-19 pandemic on global aviation, there are indications that the future of the industry is uncertain.

Speaking on this development, the President of Aviation Round Table, Elder Gbenga Olowo expressed fear on the future of the industry in the country.

Olowo, who painted the picture of the industry in the face of the pandemic, when speaking with the newsmen in Lagos said that the vaccines may not prevent the infection.

“I just pray that COVID-19 does not become everybody’s portion. Looking at the outlook, it is not very favourable. It might take us another two, three years to get to 2019 level and if we are expanding, we better expand sensibly and economically not just say I want to do airline for the sake of doing an airline. That is not it.”

Olowo noted that many challenges were facing domestic airlines which include employee wages, fuel and debts.

The guy who wears the shoes know where it pains and palliative as small as it, we should allow the airlines to disburse as they deem fit.

If you look at the meagre palliative, a chunk of it went to the agencies of government. I thought the chunk should go to the airlines because, without the airlines, all other service providers won’t be there,” he stated.

He canvassed stronger airline support stressing that what they were getting was meagre and that they did not get a fair share from the palliatives to settle debts.

“Looking at the sector, our airlines are not too strong. We have said it enough that they should merge. I hope the sense in the merger will come to play with the new ones; otherwise, they will continue to parasite one another and at the end of the day, none of them may survive in another ten years given all the constraints on the ground now COVID-19 challenges and all that.”

Olowo noted that with the trend of events, they may just be airlines on paper, explaining that merger remained the solution for airlines to move from the two aircraft to 30 aircraft.

“We have been talking that we don’t want airlines with two aircraft. We want airlines with 30 aircraft and it is doable. We have been talking about again and again.

Me alone syndrome in Nigeria has been the challenge and this me alone, die alone will not help the sector.

He said airlines need machinery that would bring the  airlines together, making the country to be proud of two, three strong airlines.

Lateefah Ibrahim