Ujah calls on FG to support local airlines
NAN-H-117
Airlines
By Sumaila Ogbaje
Abuja, Oct. 25, 2016 (NAN) Rev. Tor Ujah, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christians Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate support for domestic airlines operating in the country.
Uja spoke to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, at the signing of Air Lift Agreement for the pilgrimage operation with Atlasjet Nigeria Limited and Izy Nigeria Limited.
He said the indigenous airlines that bidded for the airlifting of the pilgrims lacked the capacity to perform the operation, adding that most local airlines did not have good aircraft.
“I will like to also urge the Federal Government to invest in the Nigerian aviation sector to finance and support some of the individual and potential airlines so that we can have airlines that can lift Nigerian pilgrims to their destinations.
“Even the indigenous airlines we selected during this process will have to hire airplanes from outside the country, but Atlasjet owns its jets which allow them to come in easily and go out easily.
“There are no Nigerian airlines that really have the capacity and government has to come in.
“If the government will also put in a heavy amount of money in the airlines, it will enable them acquire good aircraft to be able to fly large number of pilgrims and to be able to go different areas of the world.
“I believe that Nigeria is a big market that every airline will be willing to enter into and would do excellently,’’ he said.
Ujah said that NCPC was committed to the upright processes of doing things, adding that the carriers were selected out of a very transparent rigorous process in line with the law.
He said the process was to make sure that the airlines that were selected were those with proven excellence and capacity.
According to him, NCPC is committed to ensure that all pilgrims that go to any part of the world whether Rome, Greece and Israel returned alive and in good health.
“We will make sure that we get the best aircraft and we will make sure that we get the best ground handlers and most importantly, we will make sure that Nigerian pilgrims are not exposed to danger,’’ he added. (NAN)
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