|
Virgin Nigeria remains barred from US airspace — Embassy
Oluyinka Akintunde and Everest Amaefule, Abuja
The United States Embassy in Nigeria affirmed on Thursday, that the new Nigerian aviation flag carrier, Virgin Nigeria Airways, remained barred from US airspace until the open skies agreement is respected by the country.
This contradicts recent reports from the Federal Ministry of Aviation that the airline would be granted landing rights by the US government.
The Public Affairs Counsellor in the US Embassy, Mrs. Claudia Anyaso, told our correspondents in Abuja, that there had been no change in the US' position on Virgin Nigeria.
According to her, Nigeria had violated the open skies agreement signed between the Federal Government and the US.
"We are not aware of any change. We only read it in the papers. But you have to read between the lines, such statements did not come from us.
"If there is any change in the United States' policy, we should know about it. And it should come from us. We know meetings are going on but there is no change in policy yet,” the official said.
The US opposition to Virgin Nigeria stemmed from the fact that its operator, Virgin Atlantic, currently benefits from restrictions in US and United Kingdom bilateral relations in which the UK had restricted US airlines using its airspace.
But the Federal Ministry of Aviation in a statement last Friday, had stated that the US had finally agreed to grant landing permit to Virgin Nigeria when it begins operation soon.
Aviation Minister, Mallam Isa Yuguda, had told the American ambassador that the ownership structure of Virgin Nigeria was Nigerian with 51 per cent equity share in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation rules and regulations, which required any national carrier designated to fly into another country to be 51 per cent owned by the nationals of the country.
“The ownership of the new flag carrier has qualified Virgin Nigeria to go anywhere in the world, including the US,” the minister said.
Contacted, the Head of Corporate Affairs, Virgin Nigeria, Mrs. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, said that the issue of the airline not being able to land in the United States of America, was one between the governments of Nigeria and the US.
But US Embassy's Economic Counsellor, Mr. Joseph Gregoire, had at a press conference on December 16, disclosed that the new national fly into US airspace.
The envoy said: "We have issues, serious issues with this new concern, Virgin Nigeria, which may apply to serve the US-Nigeria market. First, in our eyes, this is not a Nigerian airline. According to reports to the US Government by UK based Virgin Atlantic, it is an airline that is under the control of Virgin Atlantic.
“The world is still transiting from restrictive, anticompetitive bilateral aviation agreements to more enlightened, proactive open skies agreements. It is very difficult, and very unfair, to permit the airlines of an anti-competitive regime, such as the UK, to benefit from the unrestricted opportunity available under the US-Nigeria open skies agreement.”
“If the Government of Nigeria had selected an airline partner from a country other than the UK, then the US Government would be much more likely to give it favourable consideration. We face this current situation with Virgin Nigeria with deep regret after working so closely with Nigeria for so many years to establish Nigerian service in the market,” Gregoire had stated.
The Punch, Friday, March 11, 2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
advertisement
advertisement
