My Operais this benefit, dividend of democracy in a corrupt nation
Friday, May 4, 2012 8:53:49 PM
Nigerians, notably public office
holders and businessmen spent
about N29.7bn on chartered
flights in 2011, investigation by
our correspondent has revealed.
Statistics obtained from the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,
Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria and Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency, showed
that the nation’s airports
handled an average of 50
chartered flights per day in
2011.
The Director-General, NCAA, Dr.
Harold Demuren, in a paper
presented two weeks ago,
confirmed that the nation’s
airports handled 50 chartered
flights daily last year.
Some chartered flight operators,
who spoke to our
correspondent in Lagos on
Thursday, said politicians, state
governors and other clients paid
an average of $7,000 per hour
for each flight.
Chartered airline operators at
the Murtala Muhammed Airport,
Lagos, said each of the
chartered flights took an
average of one and a half hours;
hence, the operators generated
about $10,500 in revenue from
each flight.
From the foregoing, it means
the eminent Nigerians who
patronised the services of the
operators must have spent
about $525,000 (N81.38m) on
chartered flights each day last
year at $10,500 multiplied by 50
flights.
Consequently, the Very
Important Persons must have
spent about $191.625m
(N29.7bn) on chartered flights in
2011 at $525,000 multiplied by
365 days.
The chartered aircraft operators
are Kings Airlines, Top Brazz
Aviation, Wings Aviation,
Associated Airlines, Overland
Airways, Arik Air, Vistajet and
Aero Contractors.
According to industry analysts,
chartered airline operators are
currently engaged in an intense
competition over the VIP market
in the country, which they said
had been rated as one of the
fastest growing in the world.
Different VIPs from the
corporate world and
government circles usually
throng airport terminals daily to
patronise the services of the
chartered airline operators.
Nigeria’s aviation market is
regarded as one of the most
robust in the world, bringing
huge revenue and profit to
foreign airlines.
Passengers who used Nigerian
airports in 2011 spent a total of
$1.5bn (about N225bn) on the
purchase of tickets, the Minister
of Aviation, Stella Oduah, had
recently said.
Oduah, in a keynote address she
delivered at an interactive
forum with aviation
stakeholders in Abuja a
fortnight ago, also said that 90
per cent of the total revenue
from the airports came from the
Lagos and Abuja airports.
The minister said 14.6 million
passengers used the airports
scattered across the country
within the year, while 122,700
tonnes of cargoes were moved
by air within the one-year
period.
According to the minister, the
nation’s airports handled 50
chartered flights and 300
scheduled flights per day during
the period under review.
The aviation sector, she said,
employed a total of 60,000
workers in 2011, including 1,835
cabin crew, 934 pilots, 325 air
traffic controllers, 865 aircraft
maintenance engineers and 250
meteorology personnel.
She said, “Aviation is pivotal to
the growth of key economic
sectors, such as travel and
tourism, agriculture production
and distribution, rural
development, trade
holders and businessmen spent
about N29.7bn on chartered
flights in 2011, investigation by
our correspondent has revealed.
Statistics obtained from the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority,
Federal Airports Authority of
Nigeria and Nigerian Airspace
Management Agency, showed
that the nation’s airports
handled an average of 50
chartered flights per day in
2011.
The Director-General, NCAA, Dr.
Harold Demuren, in a paper
presented two weeks ago,
confirmed that the nation’s
airports handled 50 chartered
flights daily last year.
Some chartered flight operators,
who spoke to our
correspondent in Lagos on
Thursday, said politicians, state
governors and other clients paid
an average of $7,000 per hour
for each flight.
Chartered airline operators at
the Murtala Muhammed Airport,
Lagos, said each of the
chartered flights took an
average of one and a half hours;
hence, the operators generated
about $10,500 in revenue from
each flight.
From the foregoing, it means
the eminent Nigerians who
patronised the services of the
operators must have spent
about $525,000 (N81.38m) on
chartered flights each day last
year at $10,500 multiplied by 50
flights.
Consequently, the Very
Important Persons must have
spent about $191.625m
(N29.7bn) on chartered flights in
2011 at $525,000 multiplied by
365 days.
The chartered aircraft operators
are Kings Airlines, Top Brazz
Aviation, Wings Aviation,
Associated Airlines, Overland
Airways, Arik Air, Vistajet and
Aero Contractors.
According to industry analysts,
chartered airline operators are
currently engaged in an intense
competition over the VIP market
in the country, which they said
had been rated as one of the
fastest growing in the world.
Different VIPs from the
corporate world and
government circles usually
throng airport terminals daily to
patronise the services of the
chartered airline operators.
Nigeria’s aviation market is
regarded as one of the most
robust in the world, bringing
huge revenue and profit to
foreign airlines.
Passengers who used Nigerian
airports in 2011 spent a total of
$1.5bn (about N225bn) on the
purchase of tickets, the Minister
of Aviation, Stella Oduah, had
recently said.
Oduah, in a keynote address she
delivered at an interactive
forum with aviation
stakeholders in Abuja a
fortnight ago, also said that 90
per cent of the total revenue
from the airports came from the
Lagos and Abuja airports.
The minister said 14.6 million
passengers used the airports
scattered across the country
within the year, while 122,700
tonnes of cargoes were moved
by air within the one-year
period.
According to the minister, the
nation’s airports handled 50
chartered flights and 300
scheduled flights per day during
the period under review.
The aviation sector, she said,
employed a total of 60,000
workers in 2011, including 1,835
cabin crew, 934 pilots, 325 air
traffic controllers, 865 aircraft
maintenance engineers and 250
meteorology personnel.
She said, “Aviation is pivotal to
the growth of key economic
sectors, such as travel and
tourism, agriculture production
and distribution, rural
development, trade
