ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has commended the Nigerian government for clearing the backlog of foreign airlines’ trapped funds, amounting to about $831 million.
IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Mr Kamil Al-Awadhi, gave the commendation at a two-day IATA “Wings of Change Focus Africa” conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Tunde Moshood Special Adviser to Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo said, quoted Mr. Al-Awadhi to have highlighted the negative impacts of trapped funds on foreign airlines in various countries and applauded Nigeria for its effective resolution of the issue.
“This decisive action by the Nigerian government has restored confidence in the country within the global civil aviation community.
“The commendation received widespread applause from participants, including top government officials, airline representatives, air navigation service providers, international and regional associations, aircraft manufacturers, and other stakeholders in global civil aviation”, he said.
In a related development, the Minister has emphasised the critical role of African Foreign Affairs Ministers in the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD) and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
At the plenary discussion, Mr Keyamo advocated for the inclusion of Foreign Affairs Ministers in driving the full operationalisation of these initiatives, arguing that since these ministers were responsible for setting the agenda for the African Union (AU) Summit, it was essential for them to prioritise the YD and SAATM to ensure political decisions are made to overcome existing challenges.
“To make SAATM work, it is not solely up to African Civil Aviation Ministers. We need to mobilize the African Union to remove domestic restrictions, as political leaders in Africa have the authority to direct their ministers on the way forward,” Mr Keyamo stated.
The IATA Wings of Change Focus Africa conference, themed “Towards a More Resilient and Sustainable African Aviation,” serves as a premier industry event in Africa where aviation leaders, regulators, and subject matter experts to discuss key challenges and opportunities in the air transport sector.
