Keyamo Orders Foreign Airlines To Start Using Local Caterers For On-board Meals

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered foreign airlines to patronise local caterers for on-board meals on all outbound flights from Nigeria.

The Minister gave the directive in a letter issued by the Director Overseeing Office of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, H.T Ejibunu, which was conveyed to the Acting Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday.

Naija News reports the directive is expected to take effect from January 1, 2025.

“I am directed by the Honourable Minister of Aviation to convey to you his decision to mandate all out-bound flights from Nigeria, especially foreign airlines, to patronize local caterers for on-board meals,” the directive stated.

The directive urged that the decision be communicated to the airline operators for strict complince.

“Consequently, you are hereby directed to convey the decision to all foreign airlines for strict compliance beginning from 1st of January, 2025,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the federal government of Nigeria has granted a one-month extension for owners of private aircraft in the country to complete their verification exercise.

The verification has to do with the recovery of import duties on illegally imported private aircraft.

The new deadline will now be from Monday, October 14, to Thursday, 14th November 2024, as confirmed in a statement by the spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada.

It would be recalled that the government had, through the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), planned to ground over 60 private jets owned by prominent individuals in the country due to unpaid import duties totalling several billions of naira.

The enforcement was earlier scheduled to begin on Monday, October 14th, 2024.

However, Maiwada, in a statement on Monday, said the government has granted an extension of the deadline for owners and operators of the private jets to comply with necessary regulations.