In a significant development for US-Nigeria air connectivity, the air transport agreement between the two countries, which was provisionally applied more than two decades ago, came into effect earlier this month.
While only two US airlines connect the US with Nigeria, this agreement is expected to liberalize the aviation sector further, easing the entry of more players, particularly from Nigeria.
Open skies agreement comes into force
On May 13, the US-Nigeria Air Transport Agreement came into force, establishing a modern civil aviation relationship with Nigeria consistent with US Open Skies international aviation policy.
The agreement was provisionally applied in 2000, and the current enforcement will allow unrestricted capacity and frequency of services, open route rights, a liberal charter regime, and open codesharing opportunities. The US Department of State commented, “This agreement with Nigeria is a step forward in liberalizing the international civil aviation sector in Africa and further expands our strong economic and commercial partnership, promotes people-to-people ties, and creates new opportunities for airlines, travel companies, and customers. With this agreement, air carriers can provide more affordable, convenient, and efficient air services to travelers and shippers, which in turn promotes tourism and commerce.”
Indeed, the US is home to more than 500,000 Nigerian-born US citizens and legal residents and 17,000 Nigerian students. This move seems to be in the right direction, strengthening these ties even further and creating new economic opportunities.
Only US carriers currently fly between the two countries
For anyone looking to fly non-stop between Nigeria and the US, there are currently only two options. United Airlines flies thrice weekly between Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), while Delta flies daily to Lagos from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
In the absence of any Nigerian carriers flying between the two nations, some are skeptical if Nigeria can actually extract the benefit from this agreement. Olumide Ohunayo, industry analyst and Director of research, Zenith Travels told BusinessDay, “In that agreement, we were given 10 years head start advantage that Nigerian airlines can go to the USA for 10 years before the American airlines start coming. That was blown away because we didn’t even have an airline that was ready to go to the U.S. “By the time Virgin Nigeria was ready, their ownership structure and the problem they were having with the U.S. and British Bilateral Air Service Agreement stalled Virgin Nigeria from operating and till today we are still stuck with no Nigerian airlines going to the U.S. Arik tried at a time but stopped.”
Air Piece gets approval
Things could change soon with Air Peace, the largest airline in Nigeria and West Africa, receiving approval to fly to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (JFK) in February this year. The carrier had written to the aviation ministry in January seeking permission to start US operations and received the following reply: “Conveyance of approval to Messrs Air Peace Limited to operate commercial international flight operations into and out of New York.”
Source: Simple Flying.
