The signing of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Kuwait has been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Gatekeepers News reports that the approval took place during a meeting headed by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.
BASA is an air transport agreement between two countries that allows designated airlines to operate commercial flights, covering transportation of passengers and cargoes.
Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation,told journalists at the end of the FEC meeting that the agreement, is guided by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and will open up airline services between the two countries.
“That memo has to do with the signing of the bilateral air service agreement between the federal republic of Nigeria and the state of Kuwait. In that memorandum as approved, the text was earlier on initialled and was cleared by the federal ministry of justice,” he said.
“It provided that the content of the agreement should have reciprocal rights and privileges for both countries and airlines involved. This will open up opportunities for air transportation between the two countries, in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) convention of 7th December 1944, to which both countries are signatories.”
BASA also provides for the repatriation of revenue earned by foreign carriers.
Last month, the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART) asked the Federal Government to comply with the provisions of the BASA regarding the foreign airlines’ $464 million revenue trapped in Nigeria.
The BASA gave the ART the rights to call out the government.
Then the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) released the sum of $265 million to airlines operating in the country to settle outstanding ticket sales which had caused some airlines to contemplate suspension.
