CHUKS OKOH ,
The chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema says, it is an aberration for unions to picket airlines saying it is not done all over the world
Onyema, who spoke with aviation reporters at the providence Hotel at the launch of Muneer Bankole biography, warned that government should not use unions to talk about issues of debt.
According to Onyema “If they want to shut down the industry, they can go ahead and shut down the industry. And if they picket any airline, others will go”
He said there was no need for that, stressing that Nigerian airline industry do not have any problem with any union, neither do they have business with unions.
”So, we don’t have any problem with anybody. The airlines don’t have any business with any union. We have business with NCAA, and we’ve been complying with what NCAA has directed us to be doing, and we are doing that. So, if they want to shut down the industry, we are waiting for them.
He warned that nobody can use the union to intimidate airlines in this country, saying it was a wasting of time adding that they were already on ground and fears no fall. “The airlines are already on ground. So, if they want to help us, they are free”
” Let them come on! Let them bring it on and come and shut down the airlines! Let the unions come on and tell the world which business do we have with them
If it is how it is done anywhere in the world, let us see. They are even writing airlines and calling airlines all manner of names and whatever. This is a bad precedent that is going to be set. We are waiting. We are not intimidated. If they want to picket airlines, this is an issue about safety”
Onyema warned unions not to breach safety in the country as the world is watching and they are calling on the world to watch what is happening in the country saying unions are being used to demean airlines.” They’ve been calling us names and all manner of things. No problem! Let them bring it on. There’s no need to issue threats”
“If they want to come and destroy the airlines, let them come and do it. We’ll all go home. We’ll unleash hundreds or thousands of staff to—to the public. Let all of them become jobless. No problem, if—if that is the best way to solve any problem” .
The Air Peace boss, noted that some airlines have had over 56 bird strikes in one year. “Some of us have had 56 bird strikes in one year; yet, we pay for the machines to be provided. The part of the money we pay is for the missing infrastructure to be provided. Now, if the infrastructure is not provided, and the airlines keep on losing revenue as a result of that, then airlines, you now say maybe we owe money to fuel vendors and others”
He lamented that m airlines borrow money at 30, 33%. and all everybody wants is to collect money from airlines without thinking about their survival. “If they want to shut down the industry, we are waiting for them” .
Onyema noted that over 50 airlines have come and gone saying the owners of these airlines succeeded in other businesses; yet, they failed in airline business adding that no one was able to find out the reasons for their failure in the sector, “We don’t need IATA or any outside or foreigner to tell us—to remind us what we are suffering from or what is causing this. IATA has said it for us”
“IATA has said it in far away international conference abroad. Everybody is pitying Nigerian airlines, and nobody wants to do anything about it. Look at the—the mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria. Is anybody addressing it? Do you know why it is happening?”
