9ja sha

igbo2011: THi s is bad, most Nigerians don't use planes or airports. They should invest more in the people. Education, healthcare and infrastructure.

Most nigerians would love to use airplanes but the tickets are way too high, imagine a domestic flight within nigeria is as high as 60000 and the same amount is paid when travelling to dubai for instance.
Well I think it would actually reduce the cost of domestic flight if they purchase more. But nigeria is too much talk and no action sha.....

Dee60:

I am by no means suggesting we should ignore air transport, but you will get far more options if you develop rail very well. Our problem in Nigeria is that we want to run before we walk. That is why we can spend N16 billion building a new house for VP and keep 11 jets in the Presidential fleet in a country where you cannot comfortably travel Lagos to Benin by rail!

A small passenger jet that can carry 100 people will cost USDollars 200 million to acquire. 30 of those will cost USD6 billion = N900 billion Naira. Do tha math. Except maybe FG wants to acquire 1976 Russian made planes! If you have N900 billion you will be able to provide enough guarantee for private sector to revolutionalize rail transport in the country.

I get what you mean. You see the problem with aviation in Nigeria like most developing countries is that the income level of the average worker is just too low and so most airlines try to increase price to cover margin from the few that patronize them. However, you find out by increasing thesee prices, more and more people get excluded from air travel and so the airlines struggle as they are not able to increase margin.

Sustainable solution like you highlighted is to empower the people else we will keep having the same issues. This as far as I am concerned is a 'bolekaja' approach as it has no direct impact on the vulnerable and very poor.

Billyonaire: Nice move. Time to make Nigeria the Aero Hub of Africa.

Yes oh. I believe we can achieve that in 6-7 yrs if the various mega city/devt projects of Lagos, AkwaIbom, Enugu and Abuja are realized. In fact, Lagos State would soon become the financial/economic capital of Africa.

This is the "Only Country" I've ever seen that presidency act before they think! The analysis is this; After buying the so-called "Tokunbo Plane" they will now sell it for themselves at the end of their tenure under the guise of privatisation! Buy-It-Back syndrone have ruined many gov investment like that. What happen to Ajaokuta steel? What of Sketch Newspaper? Mcheeeeeew!!! Orisirisi nonsense!

CFCfan:

Yes oh. I believe we can achieve that in 6-7 yrs if the various mega city/devt projects of Lagos, AkwaIbom, Enugu and Abuja are realized. In fact, Lagos State would soon become the financial/economic capital of Africa.

I am really excited about Lagos. The Lekki FTZ and International Airport will catapult Lagos to Business Hub of West and Central Africa. Ecowas needs a rail project that will connect all the countries together. I can imagine being able to move petrol from Lagos to Liberia and Sierra Leone, etc via rail after the Petroleum Sector is liberalized. And being able to buy electricity from bulk traders to sell to Togo through integrated international cabling network. I wish I was President, I would have turn this country to another China in just 8 yrs.

@ Billyonaire: you are right, there is need for greater inter-connectivity amongst West African cities. Arik is really trying in that regard, with flights to Freetown, Bamako, Monrovia, Dakar and Accra.

30 private jets on the way for 30 movers and shakers of the society.

stantob: 30 private jets on the way for 30 movers and shakers of the society.

You could be one of them.

CFCfan: @ Billyonaire: you are right, there is need for greater inter-connectivity amongst West African cities. Arik is really trying in that regard, with flights to Freetown, Bamako, Monrovia, Dakar and Accra.

That's why you have to support me financially to bring in Manny's Airline into Nigeria... strictly CARGO.

manny4life:

That's why you have to support me financially to bring in Manny's Airline into Nigeria... strictly CARGO.

Liquidity shouldnt be a problem if you have 360 degrees business acumen and collateral, if you dont, you have to go into JV with a partner with collat commensurate to your investment forecasting and budget. I dont mind consultancy services for a 13% stake of annual profit in any proposal on the table; tenure 10yrs.

Billyonaire: Liquidity shouldnt be a problem if you have 360 degrees business acumen and collateral, if you dont, you have to go into JV with a partner with collat commensurate to your investment forecasting and budget. I dont mind consultancy services for a 13% stake of annual profit in any proposal on the table; tenure 10yrs.

Haha, Mr Billyonaire, well the issue is the JV partner. On a small scale operation obviously, the amount is staggering. No JV will provide such amount without some form of personal investment. As for the consulting, haha, I do have very good friends who graduated Embry Riddle Aeronautical and currently work with Arik now. Definitely, when I get to that road, I'll cross it. What type of consulting services will you provide?

^^
My elder brother also graduated from Embry Riddle

CFCfan: ^^
My elder brother also graduated from Embry Riddle

What year? Was he there from 06 to 08?

Cool. what did he study? Aeronautical Engineering? Flight?

manny4life:

What year? Was he there from 06 to 08?

Cool. what did he study? Aeronautical Engineering? Flight?

He was there from 03 to 08. He studied Aeronautical engineering. And he currently works for... Boeing.

CFCfan:

He was there from 03 to 08. He studied Aeronautical engineering. And he currently works for... Boeing.

Engineering programs @ ERAU is VERY rigorous, though it's a private university and you expect it to be so easy, but heck, they put their student through hell and back. That is why they are prime choice for these companies.

Yeah. Boeing, NASA, Lockheed, even DOD etc a whole rack of them does recruit from ERAU. That is their no.1 choice. Perhaps, I may or may not have met your brother though i.e., if he was active. Well, it's good to see a NL does have an ERAU Alumni.

^^^
Yeah, I think my brother got the Boeing job like 2 months after graduation.

As a Nation, we are obviously so unserious in our thinking....every one of us, one, for allowing such men and women to be our leaders and two, for allowing these people to continue in govt.

1st and foremost, the High taxes collected by govt on each ticket leads to the High cost of ticket. A ticket from Lagos to London on Virgin Atlantic for mid January costs 232k. Tax is 110k out of it.

Guk: As a Nation, we are obviously so unserious in our thinking....every one of us, one, for allowing such men and women to be our leaders and two, for allowing these people to continue in govt.

1st and foremost, the High taxes collected by govt on each ticket leads to the High cost of ticket. A ticket from Lagos to London on Virgin Atlantic for mid January costs 232k. Tax is 110k out of it.

Bloody hell! That's well over $1000 for a 6 hr flight.

Rather than look for ways to reduce the cost of Aviation fuel and possibly bring back the national carrier... They aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ busy buying aeroplanes for themselves and enriching their pockets... Hmm the thinking of the government sometimes amazes me... Considering τ̣̣ђё position we find this nation... When aя̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ we going to get a proactive government....

daygee4u: Rather than look for ways to reduce the cost of Aviation fuel and possibly bring back the national carrier... They α̲̅я̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ busy buying aeroplanes for themselves and enriching their pockets... Hmm the thinking of the government sometimes amazes me... Considering τ̣̣ђё position we find this nation... When α̲̅я̩̥̊ε̲̣̣̣̥ we going to get a proactive government....

I don't think a "national carrier" is necessary. The govt can help to subsidize the private airlines to reduce their financial costs. But I agree that the price of aviation fuel should be reduced. This will happen when more refineries come on stream.

tumababa: WHERE ARE D BUSES THEY PROMISED?

Preach!!!

What nonsense is this? Do they intend to run a domestic airline? If not then since when did the FG start buying planes for private airlines?

May God save us sha, me gan want 2 hv my airline ASAP

they should just bring back the national carrier.

This is another ploy to siphon public funds. I bet you that there will be an allocation for 30 planes and, in a best case scenario, the govt will buy just 10 planes. That would not even be the end of it. The 10 planes would most likely be tokunbo planes.

Nigeria is a useless country

CHOP I CHOP GOVT

Yomieluv:

Future thread will be: FG to spend 300 trillion naira to purchase 30 planes.

Nigerians,
Somebody in Aviation Ministry must have invested heavily on the Jonathan Project in the countdown to 2011 elections. I can see them using the aviation sector to make money as it was during the military era when aviation ministry was used to siphon money. I am not impressed with the news at all. Already, battles have been intensified to destroy the various private partnership scheme on the ground and return the business to another group or to the Airport Authority for free corruption.

Although, I am aware that CBN intervention to the aviation sector running into several billions of naira through some private airlines failed woefully. I know of a major beneficiary airline that has suspended operation. Having said this, I am not in support of government investing in 30 airlines. It is a high level of corruption.It is not done anywhere. All the major national carriers are private public initiative and privately financed. Lowering airline tarrif is for the dummy. With the present tarrif, airlines are finding it very hard to survive and are suspending operations or unable to increase fleet. Who will subsidise the airline tarrif? Another subsidy? Are they returning back to the era of Nigerian Airways and Nigeria National Shipping Lines when these corporations were operated as a public utility companies with government money and government appointed board members who are only members of the rulling class and are only there to make money.

Even some NNPC Mega Station sold petrol at above the official price when fuel was scarce. Even if SEA petroleum and gas or some fuel cabal were made to supply aviation fuel to these 30 planes at a subdized price, with government tarmac (not MM2),I doubt at the long run, if the level of corruption will not be monumental.

CFCfan:

I don't think a "national carrier" is necessary. The govt can help to subsidize the private airlines to reduce their financial costs. But I agree that the price of aviation fuel should be reduced. This will happen when more refineries come on stream.

Government subsidise private airlines? This government sows where its cronies reap.
Haven't you heard of jimoh Ibrahim and Air Nigeria? The bail out fund?

What about Dangote and his tax holidays and artificially created monopolies?

Creating a smooth and level ground for running just good enough. Most of those businessmen actually are extensions of our corrupt system.

I agree on aviation fuel, I also agree with folks on tax on tickets! A $2000 ticket with $1000 tax is just too ridiculous.

CFCfan: ^^
I think it's a form of subsidy for the airlines to ease the huge financial burden on their backs. The airlines would make interest payments to the FG from their ticket sales. I read somewhere that the FG loan would have a single-digit interest rate (below 10%).

Nice theory and news brother but that doesn't work in Naija! You read that but when you move closer, you will be shocked at the details!
The first concept is- "what's in it for me?"
I give you a billion dollars, you pay me 5% upfront while you struggle payback to the government with the "single digit interest".
You actually need 800million but we must give you 1 billion cos "our ogas" need the remaining $200 million for their pockets".
These are our principles in Nigeria. Anytime I hear these hopeless s.wines wnat to buy anything, I know pockets are getting filled up again. They only sow where they intend to reap, otherwise, poor Nigerians like us may go to hell.