Olusegun Ariyo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has insisted that from January 2025, the Nigerian government will not approve any international airlines’ flight schedules that have not engaged local caterers’ services for their outbound flights.
Keyamo disclosed this on Sunday in an interview on Channels Television.
His comments come amid controversy over his directive on October 15, 2024, that foreign airlines should patronise local caterers for outbound flights.
In a fresh update to the directive, Keyamo explained that the move was to ramp up the aviation sector to meet up with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy.
According to him, the country will retain close to $1 billion in annual revenue for outbound meals by foreign airlines if the directive is implemented.
He insisted that foreign airlines that don’t want to comply with the directive should quit flights to Nigeria.
“Every sector of the Nigerian economy and Minister must find a way to contribute to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target. If you are a minister and your Aviation must contribute to this, that is the present vision we are all supporting.
“The foreign aircraft come into Nigeria with passengers; they come with inbound meals. Many, but not all of them, come with their outbound meals.
“The outbound meals are frozen. When they load passengers for outbound, they serve Nigerian passengers those meals.
“This is close to $1 billion in yearly income. We can’t deny our domestic caterers that advance.
“That is why I said every international airline should make contact with local caterers for outbound meals. Whoever doesn’t want to do it should stop flying. Unless they have a contract with our local caterers, we won’t approve their flight schedule. From January 2025, they must comply with this directive, he said.
