Afghanistan, compared to Nigeria, in terms of the difficulty of running an airline
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), few places in the world are as daunting as Nigeria to run an airline operation.
Black News 
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), few places in the world are as daunting as Nigeria to run an airline operation.
- Nigeria is considered one of the most challenging countries in the world to operate an airline, mainly due to high operational costs.
- Efforts by Nigeria's Minister of Aviation have helped improve conditions slightly, but running a domestic airline in Nigeria remains extremely tough.
- Foreign airlines operating in Nigeria face fewer requirements than local carriers, who are burdened with more stringent operational hurdles.
This, according to the association, is a result of the country’s cost of doing business, which is very pronounced in its aviation sector.
During the weekend, the Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East at the IATA, Kamil Al-Awadhi, mentioned that the only country comparable to Nigeria in terms of difficulty of operation was Afghanistan.
However, Afghanistan’s aviation sector is faced with a security and politics problem, while Nigeria’s was more of an operational cost issue.
“The toughest place to open an airline today is either Afghanistan or Nigeria. Afghanistan, because it is a disaster, and Nigeria, because it is unbelievably expensive to operate,” he stated.
He made the revelation during the 82nd IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Al-Awadhi noted that conditions for domestic carriers remained difficult despite continuous efforts by Mr. Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, to improve the operating environment.
“Though Nigeria has a minister of transportation who has done incredible work to try to stabilise a little bit and reduce some of the costs, it is still really tough to operate in Nigeria if you are a Nigerian operator,” he said.
“If you are outside, you are only subjected to some of these requirements per flight.
But for Nigerian carriers, it is quite hard. But I praise the minister for doing a lot towards improving the situation in a very short period.
In less than two years, he has done a lot for Nigerian aviation,” Al-Awadhi added.
The regional vice president also highlighted Nigeria’s sluggish implementation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) directive on a 25 per cent reduction in regional air transport charges to lower air fares across the sub-region, as seen on Vanguard.
“ECOWAS did an amazing job on the 25 per cent reduction in taxes, fees, levies, and all that, which is perfect.
Only one country so far in ECOWAS has adopted it, which is a shame. I praise the country, but I am not going to mention it.
It’s on my agenda, literally, to discuss when the other countries are going to apply this ECOWAS consideration, and the prices should drop,” the regional vice-president disclosed.
