The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has said that a report alleging blacklisting of some Nigerian carriers by international aircraft lessors for breach contract, was inaccurate and maligning.
This is disclosed in a statement by AON and signed by its spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, on Thursday in Lagos.
According to Okonkwo, Nigerian airlines have consistently worked very hard to meet their contractual obligations with lessors in spite of a challenging business environment.
Okonkwo said that two of the airlines – Air Peace and Azman – mentioned in the report, by a national daily, had incurred losses exceeding three million dollars from lessors.
“Despite these setbacks, domestic airlines have remained committed to serving the Nigerian public and contributing to national economic development.
“The first report claimed that 13 airlines, including Aero Contractors, Air Peace, Arik, Azman, Dana, Green Africa, Ibom Air, Max Air, United Nigeria Airline and Valuejet, were blacklisted for refusing to pay lessor fees.
“The second report claimed that airline operators denied owing lessors even when the newspaper did not officially speak with the managements of the airlines it listed in its earlier report.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we categorically state that the first report is entirely false, malicious and defamatory,” he noted.
According to Okonkwo, the national daily, in its second report, concocted information to justify the first report instead of retracting it.
“We find the publication of such inaccuracies very disheartening. We see it as a calculated attempt to erode confidence and to destroy the aviation industry.
“We demand immediate retraction of the report and an apology by the newspaper with the same prominence given to the inaccurate cover stories.
“In the absence of a satisfactory response, we may be forced to file a complaint with relevant media oversight bodies, take a legal action or both, to protect our reputation,” he said.
Okonkwo noted that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN), had acknowledged the challenges domestic operators faced and had made concerted efforts to create an enabling environment for the operators.
Air Peace, in a letter dated July 17 and signed by Mr Oroma Azeez on behalf of the airline’s legal representative, Alegeh and Co. Legal Practitioners and Notaries Public, described the publication as defamatory.
The airline had asked for the publication be retracted within 24 hours.
The airline stated in the letter that it had no existing dry lease contract and had never entered into one with any lessor since the commencement of its operations in 2013.