The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), popularly known as the Aviation Round Table (ART), brings together pilots, engineers, airline and airport operators, regulators, lawyers and investors to speak with one informed voice on the safety, economics and future of Nigerian aviation. Through quarterly Business Breakfast Meetings, press statements, position papers and direct engagement with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, ART turns the industry's experience into practical recommendations for government and operators.
Forums and quarterly Business Breakfast Meetings where operators, regulators and government work through the regulatory and structural changes the industry needs.
A steady, independent voice for safety, security and operational standards across airlines, airports and air navigation services.
Direct engagement with FAAN, the NCAA and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development on passenger comfort, compliance and infrastructure.
Building strong indigenous MRO capability, so Nigerian and regional fleets are maintained at home by facilities that are certified, capable and commercially viable.
ASRTI's position aligns with the push for strong indigenous MRO capability, rather than relying predominantly on foreign facilities. The organisation has previously identified MRO as a critical component of a viable aviation industry, and the current development of facilities such as the Air Peace MRO is significant in this regard. However, the emphasis should be on facilities that are commercially viable, properly certified, technically capable and able to serve both Nigerian and regional fleets.
Quarterly meetings on the critical economic, infrastructural and safety developments in Nigerian aviation, from hub development and GDP contribution to multi-airline collaboration.
ART hosts regular quarterly Business Breakfast Meetings (BBM) to address critical economic, infrastructural and safety developments within Nigeria's aviation sector. Recent themes: - Strategic hub development - Enhancing aviation's contribution to national GDP - Multi-airline collaboration Each meeting closes with a communiqué setting out the resolutions reached.
ASRTI calls for the entitlements of over 4,000 former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways to be paid without further delay, and for officials responsible for stalling them to be held to account.
The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) is outraged at the continued delay in paying the entitlements of over 4,000 former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, who are being tossed back and forth through bureaucratic red tape: a grave injustice to patriots who dedicated the best years of their lives to serving their fatherland. Nigeria Airways was never a private enterprise; it was the proud national carrier and a symbol of our collective sovereignty. The men and women who worked there were dedicated professionals who served with unwavering zeal, trusting that the nation they built would care for them in their golden years. Instead, they have been subjected to over two decades of agonising neglect following the airline's abrupt liquidation in April 2003. The human cost of this delay is a national tragedy and a bad omen to citizens currently serving Nigeria dedicatedly. It is uninspiring to see hundreds of elderly beneficiaries dying from age-related illnesses and preventable health complications, struggling with hypertension, diabetes and basic penury. These senior citizens could have lived dignified lives if their rightful benefits had been paid on time. It will be recalled that in December 2025, the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo (SAN), announced at the celebration of 100 Years of Civil Aviation in Nigeria that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, had approved the payment of the entitlements of ex-Nigeria Airways staff and forwarded it to the Ministry of Finance for implementation. The administrative negligence and sabotage of the President's sincerity of purpose is unacceptable. It is heartwarming to hear that the reportedly missing presidential approval document has been traced; it should be acted upon forthwith. Officials responsible for this stalling, sabotage or misplacement should be held accountable under the appropriate public service regulations. While we commend the efforts of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, we appeal to him to liaise urgently with the Minister of Finance and the relevant authorities to make these payments without further delay. These veterans served Nigeria and gave it the better part of their youthful years. To reward their decades of patriotic service with avoidable suffering and administrative ping-pong is a stain on our national conscience that must be corrected immediately.