New Telegraph 
A midst growing concerns about the state of the Nigerian aviation industry and the unpredictability of domestic airline operations, industry bigwigs are geared up for the premier aviation sector discussion forum to dissect the seeming challenges and proffer solutions to the sector’s disturbing trends.
The event, the 28th edition of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Annual Conference taking place on Friday, July 26, will see the Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), lead Chief Executive Officers of government agencies, airlines operators and other stakeholders at the brainstorming sessions taking place at the Providence Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
Keyamo, who confirmed his participation, alongside other industry major stakeholders affirmed that the leading aviation industry gathering will allow him to exchange ideas with operators, business owners and others on how the country’s aviation sector can survive amidst the prevailing macro-economic environment.
According to him, “the challenges before us and the industry are not insurmountable. We need to come together, especially at the LAAC conference.
It gives us the best opportunity to dissect the challenges one after the other and agree on the steps to take to reach and achieve our goals.
“I urge stakeholders to come with open and progressive minds and let us take a good look at the sector which we all know has great potential to boost the GDP of our dear country and open doors of employment opportunities for our teaming population of unemployed professionals.”
The Secretary of the LAAC Conference Planning Committee, Mr Albinus Chiedu, in a statement, explained that Mr. Keyamo would serve as Special Guest of Honour while the Chief Executive Officer of CITA Group, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe, would chair the proceedings.
Stakeholders described the theme of the conference: ‘Aviation Survivability Amid Challenging MacroEconomic Environment,” as timely against the background of the challenging state of Nigeria’s economy, which amplified the already existing constraints to growth and development of Nigeria’s aviation in the form of poor access to forex, weakening currency, high fuel costs, maintenance costs, poor airports infrastructure, regulatory constraints, growing manpower demands, technology upgrade, passenger comfort, among other issues that require urgent attention.
According to Chiedu, the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Engr. Umar Farouk, will deliver the keynote speech while a Former Rector of Nigeria College of Aviation Technology, (NCAT), Zaria, Capt Samuel Caulcrick, and the Second Vice President, of Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Dr Alex Nwuba, will be present papers on topical issues.
