Arik Air, Aero Lose N16, 520,000 daily to NAMA’s Osubi Airport Closure, ART Condemns Closure

Two out of other airlines affected by the closure of Osubi Airport, Warri, Arik Air and Aero has reported a daily loss of about N16, 520, 000 as a result of the closure by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)

The Aviation around a Table ( ART), regarded as the Industry think tank group has condemned the closure of the Osubi Airport, due to high navigational charges by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

In a statement provided to the Newsmen by group Media representative, Olumide Ohunayo showed that the group is of the opinion that the airport is certified by NCAA to operate scheduled flights and its tariffs approved accordingly in line with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations ( NCARs ).

Therefore, there should have been an agreement between NAMA and the operators of Warri airport on tariffs before the deployment of Air Traffic services.

According to the ART, the airport started as a hub for non-scheduled and charter operations and has grown to providing scheduled services which has eased pains of passengers flying to Warri and other neighboring cities tremendously while growing the Nigerian economy in general, Delta state in particular.

“We advise all parties as a necessity to urgently come together and resolve all issues as stipulated in the regulations so we can ameliorate pains of the travelling public, air operators, staff and all concerned stakeholders,” the statement read.

Reiterating NAMA’s reason for Osubi Airport closure, in September the airport was shut down for a debt , allegedly exceeding N500 million owed by Shoreline Energy International which led to the withdrawal of Air Traffic services from the airport. With the air traffic controllers not in the tower, no aircraft could land or takeoff from the airport.

The Director of Finance at NAMA, Umoh Aniefiok, who confirmed the debt of over N500 million “as at the last count”, added that the withdrawal of services was the last resort after all other means had been exhausted.

The current owners and managers of the facility “simply refused to pay, saying the services are government-owned, forgetting that the cost of training and salary of the controllers are just as much as what is spent on pilots.” she said.

Recalling the transfer of ownership of the Osubi airport, Shell Petroleum Development Company transferred ownership of the airport to an indigenous energy and infrastructure company in 2015. Investigations showed that the aeronautical services debt had continued to pile up ever since then.