Codesharing: What Nigerian airlines must do

The absence of codeshare arrangements among airlines operating in Nigeria has continued to be a source of frustration for local air travellers as it results in long waiting hours, botched trips and failed appointments.

Codeshare is an agreement between two or more airlines in which airlines that have no aircraft or seats available at a scheduled place and time pass their waiting scheduled passengers to partner airlines with aircraft and seats available.

For instance, in a bid to make travel experience less strenuous for passengers and expand network through North America, Europe and India, Delta Airlines started codeshare with Jet Airways and KLM.

In the same vein, Emirates codeshares with Bangkok Airways available on Thai routes and other South East Asian destinations. The airliner also codeshares with Flybe available on UK destinations. Etihad Airways codeshares with Aer Lingus, Air Canada and Air Baltic to ply Dublin, London-Heathrow, Manchester and Amsterdam routes.

Sadly, this sort of arrangement is missing in Nigeria. International airlines that fly into Nigeria do not have codeshare arrangements with local carriers.

While domestic airlines have indicated their interest to partner with foreign airlines in this regard, they regret that foreign airlines are not open to such partnerships but prefer to fly multiple entries into the country.

On the other hand, foreign airlines have set stringent terms, conditions and standards for codesharing which most domestic airlines have not met.

While this stalemate persists, Tayo Ojuri, an industry expert, says the first condition domestic airlines must fulfil before they can attract partnerships with foreign airlines is to belong to global alliances, such as Star alliance, One World alliance, and SkyTeam alliance. No Nigerian airliner is currently in any of these alliances.

IFEOMA OKEKE

The writer can be reached via ifeco24@gmail.com or +2347030791726