Why Nigeria must invoke bilateral reciprocity clause — Medview boss

THE Chief Executive Officer of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole has called on the Federal Government to actualise the bilateral agreements it signed with over 78  countries across.

While emphasising why government must invoke the reciprocity clause in such agreements,  Bankole maintained that without doing this, some countries whose airlines are presently enjoying flight frequencies into Nigeria will continue to create bottlenecks in the way of Nigerian carriers designated to fly into their countries.

Speaking at the decoration of four new captains trained by the airline, Bankole lamented how some countries had devised means to prevent Nigerian airlines from flying into their countries while their airlines enjoyed unlimited opportunities in Nigeria. Part of the measures devised by such countries, Bankole said included the denial of airport slot and frequencies at major airport terminals to Nigerian carriers designated to operate into such countries.

According to him, until the government takes such a hard posture, the dream of Nigerian carriers to actualise their designation on some international routes will remain a tall dream. Citing the sour experience Medview Airlines had in its bid to fly to Dubai Airport, Bankole said the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denied the carrier approval to operate into Terminal 1 of Dubai Airport on the excuse that there was no slot.

Suspecting that the UAE authorities were trying to protect their carriers, Bankole challenged the decision through the government in a petition to the United Arab Emirates authorities to express the airline’s disenchantment over the denial of airport approval.

Bankole said in the petition, it sought for explanations why Nigerian government would grant multiple entry rights for UAE carriers into Nigeria, yet Medview was denied approval into Dubai.

“Government directed NCAA to apply the reciprocity clause in our bilateral air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates and out of fear that their carriers may suffer the similar fate in Nigeria they granted Medview rights to operate into Dubai Airport Terminal One.

“If Nigerian government had not taken such necessary steps, Medview Airlines would have been shut out. This is what indigenous carriers suffer in the hands of these countries, all in a bid to protect their airlines. It is time Nigerian government stepped up efforts to protect her carriers.”

On the airline’s expansion plans, Bankole said, “Very soon we will begin flights into Johannesburg, South Africa. We are also looking at our approval to  consider flights very soon into either Washington/Baltimore and Houston/Texas in the United States. This month, Medview will begin flights into Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar. Our Freetown operations is already running, the whole idea is to integrate our  routes in African countries.”