Posted by Sade Williams
Aviation Round Table (ART), on Tuesday, decried the closure of Warri airport by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
This is just as the airlines operating into the airport are groaning under heavy losses daily by not flying to Warri.
The NAMA had closed the airport over alleged debt of about N600 million owed by the operators of the airport, Shoreline Energy International.
A statement signed by Olumide Ohunayo for ART, stated that 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.
“ART 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.
“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”, it said.
