Charter airlines operating in Nigeria have been losing at least half a billion naira monthly since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and started his anti-corruption crusade, findings by Saturday PUNCH have shown.
In the last four months, investigation reveal that 10 charter airlines have lost a combined revenue of $10.395m (N2.048bn).
Subsequently, some of the charter airlines, which used to enjoy the robust patronage of serving and non-serving top government officials, cronies and contractors, are now at the verge of closing shops following a sharp drop in business turnovers.
Sources in the charter airline sub-sector of the country’s aviation industry disclosed to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity that Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign had made most of their clients to boycott flying charter jets.
It was further learnt that serving governors, politicians, immediate past ministers, ex-presidential advisers, top government contractors including subsidy scheme beneficiaries and top civil servants, who used to charter airlines, had all stopped flying private jets.
Findings also revealed that associates of these serving and non-serving government officials, and their associates and family members, both close and distant, had also stopped renting private jets, a usual practice in the past.
A director in one of the aviation agencies who is close to charter jet operators at the Lagos airport, said, “Immediately Buhari took over, charter jet business started witnessing a gradual decline. But it became very worse when Buhari started the anti-corruption crusade. “The fear of probe by the new government made most of our clients to run away. You know most of our clients are serving and non-serving top government officials, top government contractors and subsidy scheme beneficiaries.”