The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has called on the federal government to reopen the country’s airspace in order for airlines to commence flight operations to prevent a total breakdown of the economy.
The General Secretary of NUP, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria branch, Comrade Emeka Njoku, noted that aviation parastatals would find it difficult to pay salaries if the airspace remained closed as agencies in the sector relied on internally generated revenue to survive.
Comrade Njoku disclosed that pensioners of FAAN have started finding it difficult to feed as a result of the lockdown which was already having a negative impact on the organisation.
He noted that aviation remained the driver of any country’s economy and should be carefully handled by ensuring that putting adequate measures in place at airports to ensure special passenger screening.
He said, “Modalities of screening should be put in place at airports by the government to screen passengers and by doing this, they will be able to detect those with the virus”
The union leader warned against hunger, especially on workers in the aviation sector as salaries may not be paid as a result of the shut down without government subvention to aviation agencies.
