NCAA withholding our approval to commence regional operations, Bi-Courtney alleges

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MM2), Capt. Jari Williams has cried out, alleging that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is withholding its efforts to commence regional operations.

According to him, BASL has fulfilled all the requirements for the commencement of regional flights but the approval was being withheld by the federal agency.

Williams spoke alongside the Legal Officer of the BASL, Tola Oshobi, SAN, the Head of Operations, Salu Mobolaji during a tour of MMA2 facilities during an interview.

Besides, he countered claims making the rounds in some quarters that its running Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on the operation of the terminal was for 36 years and not 12 years.

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In his further submission, BASL had sunk in billions of naira into installing state of the art facilities for the regional operations for long.

He however, recalled that NCAA had earlier given approval for the operations but suddenly backtracked on the eve of the commencement.

While brushing aside, claims that same terminal could not be used for both domestic and regional operations, he gave instances with what obtains in Accra and Lome, saying “they have both domestic and international in the same terminal and operations still go on. All that is needed is segregation of the operating areas. Go to Heathrow Terminal 1, Terminal 2, 3, 4,5 both domestic and international operations happen there”.