Foreign airlines operating in Nigeria will not be allowed to use their summer schedules unless they collaborate with local caterers to provide onboard meal services, according to Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development.
Foreign airlines operating in Nigeria were instructed by Keyamo on October 15, 2024, to use local caterers for onboard meal services, with strict compliance expected starting on January 1, 2025. The policy's goal, the minister continued, is to strengthen Nigeria's indigenous economy.
The minister expressed worries about international airlines operating in Nigeria not using Nigerian catering services when he spoke at a stakeholders' conference in Lagos on Friday, February 28. "Until I see an agreement demonstrating they have partnered with our local caterers for onboard meals, I will not approve the summer schedule for foreign airlines," Keyamo stated. He added that Maiduguri Airport was being upgraded to become the northeast's first international airport.
The minister suggested that if possible, approvals might be given in as little as 24 hours, and he asked the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to further streamline the AOC issuance procedure.
Runway friction tests and de-rubberization have been a major focus to improve safety across the nation's airports, according to Olubunmi Kuku, managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). "Our efforts to keep runways clean have been incredibly constant over the last 12 months. Additionally, we have set up more equipment for friction testing," she stated.
Although FAAN has made strides in managing wildlife, Kuku pointed out that problems like bird strikes still existed.
The MD listed various airports' recertification and the restoration of Hajj terminals in Maiduguri, Kano, Abuja, Ilorin, Katsina, and other places as highlights of 2024's accomplishments, with work still being done in Lagos.
In order to address frequent power outages, she continued, FAAN had started electrification projects, especially in Lagos.