Crucial Moment

That great relief is being enjoyed by the Nigerian travelling public is no longer in doubt following the entrance of Med View to domestic airline business in the country last week. 

The airline, managed by one of the best hands that gave Nigerians the once national carrier, the Nigeria Airways, which at a time, became the national pride before it was unwisely liquidated, has been regarded as an airline which will bring a big relief to passengers who had, hitherto, suffered from the double impacts of shortage of aircraft and airlines. 

There is no doubt that since the airline launched itself on the domestic scene last week, passengers have started enjoying the dividends of competition as witnessed in the fares introduced by the carrier. 

The airline, which launched its arrival with two Boeing737-400 aircraft on the Lagos-Abuja and Lagos-Port Harcourt routes, has brought smiles back to the faces of the travelling public who had hitherto been subjected to harrowing experience in the hands of the few operating airlines through the exorbitant fares slammed on them. 

Prior to the coming of Med View last week, passengers had gone through tough times as the fare for a one hour flight was between N25, 000 and N40,000 depending on the airline and availability of seats. 

The airline staff even compounded the problems as they collude with touts to rip off many of the travelling public by introducing tougher measures. 

Many intending passengers who could not afford the cut throat fares were left with no other choice than to explore the road means of transportation. 

From information gathered from some passengers who described the coming of Med View as  a great relief through its reasonable fares, the airline, since it started operations, has been enjoying full load.

There is no doubt that the entrance of Med View into the scene will bring better competition with passengers not being forced to fly a particular airline. It will also force the airlines to slash their fares. 

The policy chosen by the Med View management, led by its Managing Director, Alhaji Bankole Muneer, according to key players in the industry, would greatly place the airline at a better advantage over the other airlines which have chosen to associate with only the wealthy. 

Even the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, confirmed this when speaking at the airline’s inaugural flight. He said Med View’s operations, especially on the Lagos-Abuja route, would ease traffic congestion through the provision of more capacity to carry passengers who were always stranded due to shortage of flights. 

The Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness, Rilwan Akiolu, who also graced the occasion with other stakeholders, described the coming of the airline as timely in view of the difficulties passengers face before obtaining seats on the few aircraft available. 

It was obvious how the few airlines on ground had subjected passengers to untold hardship through the high fares coupled with flights cancellations and delays. 

It is based on this that Crucial Moment is not only welcoming Med View into the domestic scene, but thanking the airline management for bringing hope to the Nigerian travelling public through the considerate fares the airline has introduced. 

It is sure that the passengers will soon start enjoying air transport once again when Dana Air also joins Med View airline on the domestic scene. 

With the arrival of Med View, the best is yet to come for domestic airline business but there is surely light at the end of the tunnel.