Two months after the Nigerian government changed the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, BASA, it had with the United Arab Emirates, UAE, there are growing concerns about how beneficial the new air pact will be to Nigerian airlines.

In September 27, 2024, ahead of Emirates flight resumption, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, in a statement, said Nigeria had concluded reciprocal rights with UAE authority.

The Nigerian government also disclosed that it had set the foundation for a new BASA between both countries to ensure stronger and mutually beneficial aviation ties.

Meanwhile, the issues surrounding the agreement got interesting when a document revealed that the federal government may have put designated Nigerian carriers in a difficult situation as they may not enjoy level playing field with UAE airlines.

The 15-page document assessed by industry analysts showed that Nigeria, in uncertain terms, may have altered its aviation treaty with UAE from BASA to what analysts term Open Skies.

In the air transport sector, while BASA confines airline(s) to certain frequencies and destinations, ‘Open Skies’ permits airline(s) to fly on international routes freely and compete openly with one another for passengers.

What does the document entail?

According to the 3,915-word document, the Nigerian delegation that signed the agreement in Dubai on September 30, 2024, included Head of Delegation, Mr Festus Keyamo; Project Monitoring, Mr Issa Osagie; Director Air Transport Regulations Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Mrs Babaoye-Iriobe; Director of Operations Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Captain Abdullahi Mahmood; and Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria, Mr Abdullahi Ahmed.

Also, the UAE delegation included Head of Delegation, Deputy Director General & Assistant Director General, GCAA, Omar Bin Ghaleb; Senior Director of Air Transport Department, GCAA, Captain Khalid Humaid Al Ali; Expert Air Transport, GCAA, Mr Nasser Mubarak Al Khater;

Senior Lead Air Transport, GCAA, Ms Valerie Beowne; Lead Air Transport, GCAA, Mrs Jawaher Mohammed Al Abdouli; Senior Officer Air Transport, GCAA, Mr Fahad Abdulrahman Al Rais; and Senior Officer Air Transport, GCAA, Mr Hassan Ahmed Barman.

Titled: ‘Protocol Amending the Air Services Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates Relating to Air Services between and beyond their Respective Territories,’ UAE’s delegation, inthe amended air agreement, re-confirmed their designation of Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, Air Arabia, flydubai, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi as designated airlines, and added that additional UAE airline(s) may be designated in due course by the aeronautical authority of the UAE. (Vanguard)