NANTA Charges CBN To Stop Banks From Selling Air Tickets

Seeks Airlines’ Compliance For BSP

THE National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has called on Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to direct all banks to stop the sales of air tickets to travelers.

NANTA, the umbrella body of all travel agencies in Nigeria accused the banks of “ abandoning their core business of providing financial services to the public and delving into a business venture that they are not legally licensed to perform”.

Speaking during a press briefing held in Lagos recently, NANTA National President Alhaji Aminu Agoha said general public has been inundated with adverts by banks with offers to purchase air tickets. This growing trend threatens the survival of travel agencies accredited to sell tickets on behalf of airlines, he said.

“We therefore call on the Governor of Central Bank to direct all banks in the country to stop the sales of tickets to the public”.
The group also called on the NCAA to direct all airlines operating in Nigeria to only sell tickets through IATA accredited agents in order to “help sanitize the industry.”

“Airlines make available on their websites fares which are much cheaper than those available on the agency booking platforms. This is unfair competition and the practice is running a lot of agencies out of business”.

One of the preconditions to sanitize the aviation sub-sector, according to Agoha is for the federal government to compel airlines to join Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), which was introduced years ago.

Most airlines earlier opposed BSP when it was introduced until NCAA enforced compliance in 2008.
Seven years after the compliance order, some airlines have refused to join BSP, NANTA President said. The implication is that, travel agencies are compelled to buy tickets from airlines on a cash-and-carry-basis, he said.

“Furthermore, some airlines’ ticketing offices are operated by non- indigenous companies who earn 12 percent to 20 percent commission on ticket sales, but deny local agents their commission”.

Meanwhile, Head, Media and External Relations at First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lasaki Babatunde has described the complaints of NANTA as “shedding crocodile tears”.

In an SMS message to The Guardian, Lasaki said services firms are now devising means of servicing their customers in a more convenient, cheap and efficient manners with the adoption of travel reservations portal, which makes booking for hotels and air tickets easier.