Ibadan -The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct all banks in the country to stop the sale of airline tickets to air travellers.
The National President of NANTA, Mr Aminu Agoha, made the call while addressing newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Agoha said travel agencies were the only agencies accredited to sell tickets on behalf of airlines in Nigeria.
He explained that if the trend was not abated a lot of its members would lose their jobs which could add to the growing unemployment situation in the country.
Agoha said: “One burning issue is the sale of airline tickets by Nigerian banks. Banks in Nigeria have become ‘jack of all trades’ and are gradually and consistently encroaching on all businesses including specialised areas such as ours.
“Are they licensed to act as airline agents? Travel agents undergo a rigorous accreditation process before they are allowed to sell airline tickets.
“Why are airlines colluding with banks to sell tickets by offering banks commission and offering agents none?
“This growing trend portrays a dangerous situation whereby the banks have abandoned their core business of providing financial services to the public and delving into a business venture that they are not legally licensed to perform,’’ he said.
Agoha also called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to direct all airlines operating in Nigeria to only sell airline tickets through International Air Transport Association (IATA) accredited agents.
This, he said, would instil professionalism and help to sanitise the industry.
The NANTA president called for a stakeholder’s meeting involving CBN, Ministry of Aviation, Ministry of Finance, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the airlines, and travel agents.
He said that the meeting should be convened urgently to determine how to review the current monetary policy for the aviation industry toward avoiding loss of jobs and revenue from the sector.
He said that instability in the aviation sector had a ripple effect with potential job losses not just in the aviation industry but also in its ancillary services.
According to him, such services are located in the travel and tourism sector to which the association belonged.
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“The precarious foreign exchange and the general monetary policy of the CBN are making it difficult or even impossible for the international airlines to repatriate their fund out of the country.
“Some airlines are closing operations in Nigeria while others are reducing staff and reducing the number of flights coming into the country.
“This alarming and dangerous situation needs an urgent attention as our industry is fast losing revenue and travel Agencies are closing shops.
”We want the federal government to call the erring airlines to order as the legal currency for trading in Nigeria is the naira”, he said.
Agoha further expressed concern over the disparity in fares between what the airlines offer to the Nigerian market and what they offer elsewhere.
He said that the disparity in fares was alarming, adding that it was unfortunate that Nigeria had been singled out for this rip-off.
“We see no reason why a flight ticket from Accra to Europe or USA on some airlines will be cheaper than from Lagos to the same destinations on the same airline.”
“For instance, a first class ticket to Las Vegas from Lagos is N1.8 million more than a first class ticket to the same destination from Accra.
“These travel agencies are making huge sales from the Nigerian travelers while most of our Nigerian agencies are folding up”, Agoha added.
NAN reports that NANTA, founded in 1973 by travel agents, is registered under the Land Perpetual Act as a Non-profit and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), promoting travel and tourism.
It currently has 1,020 registered travel agencies as members with a workforce of about 7,120, who generate over 2.3billion dollars annually. (NAN)
