Lagos — Passengers, including pilgrims to Saudi Arabia who are still in possession of unused air tickets belonging to the defunct Bellview Airlines, will be attended to by an offshoot of the carrier, First Nation Airways. The chairman of the new airline, Kayode Odukoya, who was the managing director and chief executive of Bellview, said in Lagos at the weekend that the airline would not fail to attend to passengers who could not use the airline's tickets before it suspended operations.

He added that the new airline was ready to take on the existing competitors on the domestic routes including Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos.

"Competition is very good for the business, passengers and for the airline. With our wealth of experience, no one can undermine us. We will work with other airlines in a collaborative manner," he stated.

Reacting to some of the issues raised by the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) against the new entrant into the airline business, Odukoya said, "There is nothing wrong in what First Nation Airways has done. As many airlines in history have changed brand over time. IRS used to be Harka and major airlines in the world have done similar things in the past. What First Nation Airways has done should not be generating controversy."

He also said that Sabena, the national airline of Belgium formed in 1923 was bankrupt in 2001 and the owners went ahead to establish SN Brussels Airlines and took over part of Sabena's assets in February 2002.

"It will be a double tragedy if the experiences which people have gathered over the years die with the owners. Therefore, we should be commended," Odukoya added.

Speaking on the issue of compensation to families of victims of Bellview Airlines crash in Lisa village, Ogun State on October 22, 2005 in which 117 persons died, Odukoya said the rested airline had paid claims to all the families of the deceased.

He said, "Bellview paid the highest claims in the country, as far as air accident is concerned. This can be confirmed from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).