How to earn Nigerian Airlines global competitive operating advantage— Minister

Festus Keyamo SAN

 

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barr. Festus Keyamo, has said that the development, deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF) and Aviation Cleaner Energies will gain Nigerian Airlines Global Competitive Operating Advantage in the continent.

Keyamo stated this in his opening remarks at the consultative meeting on the development and deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), Low Carbon Aviation Fuel (LCAF) and Aviation Cleaner Energies which held in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Minister noted that the meeting is apt and laudable as it is in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Resolution on global framework on aviation cleaner energies.

“This step is not only laudable, but necessary for our airlines to be able to have competitive operating advantage not just in our sub-region, but in the continent.

Keyamo further said the meeting is important not just for coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders in the aviation and energy sectors, but for other stakeholders such as government agencies, industry players, civil society, academia, and international partners, but also necessary in raising public awareness and education on the benefits and opportunities of cleaner energy transition for aviation, as well as the challenges and risks of inaction.

” This collaboration is the only way to facilitate the development and deployment of aviation cleaner energies in Nigeria and ensure that the country is not left behind in aviation environmental protection initiatives.

” A number of technical analyses done revealed that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions from International Aviation. This further underscores the importance of this consultative meeting to aviation. The step that is being taken here today, shows our commitment in meeting Nigeria’s pledge under the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nigeria has played an active role in supporting ICAO’s efforts in reducing carbon emissions, and our decisions today would encourage the rest of our continent on transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Keyamo.

The Minister thwrefore reaffirm the Tinubu led administration’s committment towards placing the aviation sector at the center of its national economic development, stressing that collective efforts will further enhance an enabling environment for renewable, waste-derived aviation fuels that meets global sustainability criteria.

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The Director General of Civil Aviation, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, earlier in his presentation emphasised the cost effectiveness and efficiency of transitioning to LCAF to the airline operators and the Nigerian economy.

According to Nuhu, only airline operators with non mordern modern aircraft would have to make changes to their aircraft in the process of transition which would be done with a blend of both Jet A1 and LCAF.

He further explained that the Jet A1 does a magnanimous damage to the environment which regards to carbon emission, there by contributing significantly to climate change, but would when they transition to SAF, would translate into a huge economy for the Nigeria.

The NCAA boss also disclosed that the Jet A1 whose fuel price is about N1,000 per litre due to cost of importation would be reduced drastically if production begins in Nigeria at cheaper rate with reduction in operational cost, and a better environment.

” If the cost of operation is cheap, tickets will be cheap too. So, it is a win-win for everybody if it works,” said Captain Nuhu.

In a similar vain, the representative of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Roland Iyayi reaffirmed that transition to sustainable aviation fuel will reduce the cost of operation for operators and also make air travel affordable,adding that the current cost of aviation fuel isnt sustainable for most airline operators.

He also said Nigeria has a comparative advantage as the major component for a brand of SAF is palm oil which is readily available in abundance in Nigeria.

“The technology is being developed in the United Kingdom, so, to a large extent, we have the raw materials to develop the technology and leapfrog what other continents are doing.

“Fuel constitutes 40 per cent cost of the operating cost of airlines in Nigeria and that is huge. Today, fuel is about N1,000 per litre and it is not sustainable for any domestic carrier in this country especially with thw excahnge rate $1 at N1,100 which is needed for importation,” said Captain Iyayi.

Supporting the duo of Captain Nuhu, and Captain Iyayi, the Director General of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Engr. Akin Olateru, said the Aeroplane constitue a lot of emission, but with access to funding for better aeroplane Nigeria break even in the areas of sustainable aviation fuel.