Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has rallied domestic carriers to better collaboration, merger, or international alliances to become stronger and viable.

The apex regulatory body noted that deeper cooperation has become an inevitable coping mechanism for operators that must survive feisty competitions and challenging times in global aviation.

Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, at the 27th Annual Conference of the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) held in Lagos recently, acknowledged that the challenges facing local operators are daunting, but not insurmountable.

Nuhu, who spoke on the conference theme: “Aviation Industry: Changing Times, Changing Strategies”, advised operators to partner with willing foreign carriers, like Aero Contractors did with Air France some years ago. He said: “Synergy, collaboration, cooperation, or merger is the rule of the game. I want to encourage Nigerian airlines to avoid ‘I-want-to-do-it-alone’ as reflected in their lone-wolf operational tactic.

“While I want to appreciate our operators for a job well done in terms of the spirit and the impact, we urge airlines to partner with their willing foreign counterparts through code sharing in developing Nigeria’s aviation industry. I remember that at a phase, Air France interlined with Aero Contractors.

“By nature, and approach, we should manifestly embrace collaboration and exhibit sustained commitment, lest average Nigerian carriers become ever more fragmented and less competitive with mere individual identities,” he said.

Nuhu reemphasized that aviation is global. Hence, Nigerians have no choice than to keep aviation working by adopting workable initiatives and rightful changing strategies to contend with ever-changing times.

He added that the CAA is neither a police agency of the industry nor in existence to close airline businesses, stressing that the regulatory body is willing to support the airline to get out of the woods.

He assured that with the commitment of all, the industry is expected to experience significant improvements in areas of safety, security, technology, development infrastructure, airline management and operations among others.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Top Brass Aviation, Roland Iyayi, has also challenged the regulators to look inwards to correct unfriendly provisions in the extant Act.

One of those policies that gnaws at Iyayi is the mandatory six-aircraft fleet demand on new startups. He said, “There was a review, and it was imputed that (new) airlines will have six aircraft before they can have AOCs. I am standing here telling you that if you want to have a policy driven by the CAA on airline profitability, yet you are keeping me handicapped, then what is that?”