The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Barrister Festus Keyamo has declared that Nigerian airlines are operating under a stiff environment.
Nonetheless, he pointed out that despite this, travellers continue to have great regard for the nation’s airlines.
Speaking at the 13th edition of the Nigerian Aviation Awards (NIGAV) with the theme, ‘A Strategic Repositioning of the Air Transportation Sector,’ held at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, over the weekend, Keyamo said that his Key Performance Index (KPI) would assist the airlines to remain in business and emerge even stronger.
He stressed that the government would continue to ensure strict adherence to industry standards by the airline operators while also ensuring safety of air travellers at all times.
Keyamo also lauded the organisers of the annual NIGAV awards, saying that this would encourage organisations, professionals and individuals to continue to put in their best for the development of the industry.
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Keyamo explained that despite the fact that the airlines had their different strengths and weaknesses, the organisers of the awards were able to recognise these and rewarded them accordingly.
The awards were in three different categories, namely; Special Industry Recognition Awards, Voted Awards, and the crowning of the King and Queen of the Air.
The flagship award was the crowning of the King and Queen of the Air with the winners carting home N1 million each, while the runners-up received N500,000 each for their efforts.
Ten cabin crew members cutting across most of the domestic airlines, had participated in the award category with judges scoring them according to their performances.
The cash award was donated by SANTOS Aviation United States.
In his welcome address, Mr. Fortune Idu, the organiser of the award, said that the event was designed to celebrate the positive contributions and gallant work of industry personalities and organisations that had helped make 2023 a successful year for aviation.
He said that the organisers were driven by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) mantra and propelled by its determination to support the Nigeria Civil Aviation Organisation (NCAA) in bringing everyone on board into the country’s aviation prosperity.