Nigeria and Germany are set to review and update their 2010 Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) as both countries seek to deepen aviation cooperation and strengthen air connectivity.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this after a meeting in Abuja between Nigerian aviation authorities and a delegation from the Lufthansa Group.
Keyamo said the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria-Germany aviation relations, reviewing the existing BASA and plans by the German aviation group to expand its operations in Nigeria.
The Lufthansa delegation comprised Alexandra Dietzen-Zill, Senior Manager, Aeropolitical Relations and Traffic Rights, Lufthansa Group, and Walid Mahmud, Sales Executive, Lufthansa Technik, Aero Alzey.
According to Keyamo, a major outcome of the meeting was the agreement to commence work on the review and ratification of the bilateral aviation agreement between Nigeria and Germany.
The BASA, signed in 2010, provides the legal framework for air services between both countries, including traffic rights and the operation of designated airlines.
He said the agreement was due for ratification and updating to reflect the current realities of the aviation relationship between Nigeria and Germany.
The parties also agreed on modalities to immediately commence the review process.
The planned review comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to strengthen international air connectivity and create a more predictable regulatory environment for foreign airlines operating in the country.
For Lufthansa Group, the engagement provides an opportunity to deepen its presence in the Nigerian market.
The group has maintained a longstanding presence in Nigeria through its airline and aviation services operations, while Lufthansa Technik provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services to airlines and other aviation operators globally.
Keyamo said closer cooperation with Lufthansa could help strengthen air connectivity between Nigeria and Germany while supporting broader commercial and economic relations between the two countries.
BASAs are important to international aviation as they establish the legal and operational framework for scheduled air services between two countries.
They typically cover issues including routes, capacity, traffic rights, airline designation and other operational arrangements.
The review of the Nigeria-Germany BASA is therefore expected to provide an updated framework for the evolving relationship between the two aviation markets.
(The Whistler)
