On Emirates Airlines Operations In Nigeria

By DR ABUBAKAR ALKALI

Ab initio, there was an error in approving 21 frequencies for Emirates into Nigeria.

I am afraid under this arrangement and approval of 21 frequencies for Emirates, Nigeria will be shortchanged.

In Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), there is nothing like allocation of frequencies through ministerial approval.

What obtains is ‘sharing of frequencies’ not ‘allocation of frequencies.

BASA is between the two countries not between airlines.

Nigeria should have proposed a ‘frequency sharing arrangement’ for 20 frequencies over the route Dubai – Abuja v.v or any agreed single-entry point and each of the two countries will take 10 frequencies.

UAE can designate Emirates as it’s carrier while Nigeria can designate Air Peace or any airline with the required capacity because even the type of aircraft and its capacity will be specified in the BASA agreement between both countries.

When the 20 frequencies are agreed upon by both countries and Emirates starts to operate theirs into Abuja, at any point in time they needed extra frequencies into Nigeria, they will apply and will have to pay for it under what is referred to as a ‘commercial agreement’.

The commercial agreement will be between the designated carriers – Emirates for UAE and Air Peace for Nigeria. Under commercial agreement, the federal government through the designated airline – Air Peace- will charge Emirates per passenger for any extra frequency belonging to Nigeria it operates. For example, $100 per passenger on the route (this can be reviewed based on market realities)

Moreover, if the agreement has been concluded under a sharing arrangement not approval by the Minister and each country takes 10 frequencies, Air Peace will not have to apply for any approval for frequency into UAE.

The BASA agreement protects countries like Nigeria with no airlines or capacity to use their frequency through a commercial agreement under which they can also make money while on the ground.

The BASA fund for Nigeria where proceeds of commercial agreement are paid into is huge. There is so much money in it.

I recall a former head of state of Nigeria was shell shocked when he was shown the amount of money in Nigeria’s BASA account and he asked ‘So Nigeria has this amount of money?

It is not too late though. The federal government through the ministry of aviation should call for a review of the BASA agreement between UAE and Nigeria under a sharing arrangement such that Nigeria will take 10 frequencies while UAE takes 10.

If a single-entry point has been agreed upon as Dubai and Abuja and Emirates wants to fly into Lagos, they will have to pay extra for additional entry point.

Of course, 20 frequencies should not be sacrosanct, it can be higher or lower and the total number of frequencies should be determined by the capacity and economic viability of the Nigeria-UAE aviation market.

DR ABUBAKAR ALKALI ,08032086527,alkalizai@yahoo.com