ART Deplores Closure of Warri Airport

Aviation Round Table (ART) a think-tank body in the aviation industry has condemned the continued closure of Warri airport, also known as Osubi airport.

The ART in a statement signed by its spokesman, Olu Ohunayo, said 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 adding to the growth of the nation’s economy.

“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,” ART said.

THISDAY learnt that the company managing the airport had paid some of the debts to NAMA, but it was yet to state how it would pay the remaining debts to the agency.

With daily loss of about N16, 520, 000, two Nigerian major carriers, Arik Air and Aero Contractors had earlier condemned the closure of the airport.

The airport was closed on September 3, 2018 when the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) withdrew its navigational services due to debts owed it by the management of the airport, Shoreline Energy International.
Informed source from NAMA, however, told THISDAY that the agency withdrew its Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) due to debts owed it by Shoreline, which is over N500 million.