Chinedu Eze

The President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Yinka Folami, has said that the federal government would soon stop foreign airlines from selling their tcikets in dollars.

Travel agencies had cried out that international carriers sell their flight tickets in dollars, which negates the rules and puts pressure on the naira and foreign exchange.

Folami said the ‘dollarisation’ of the aviation sector will soon become a thing of the past because government is now addressing the problem.

Speaking on a cultural and tourism programme in Lagos at the weekend, the NANTA President explained that there is no need to sell tickets in foreign currency again in Nigeria and described the practice as an outdated system that will soon fade out in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

Folami said that this is why a country should have its own airlines to operate in the market and called on Nigerians and urged them to support Air Peace, saying the airline took the bull by the horns by launching its London routes from Lagos and Abuja, saying that it is a patriotic responsibility for Nigerians to support and pray for the airline’s success and sustainability.

The NANTA president described cross-border trading in foreign currency as “a crime against the economy.” 

“Those of us in the aviation space understand that until we have a strong Nigerian carrier to stand in the gap, these issues will persist. I am happy to inform Nigerians that the government is squarely addressing the issue of ticket sales in foreign currency, and that is the latest update on the matter,” Folami said.