Photo caption : From L-R Head Of Sales, Finchglow Travels, Aderinola Desalu; Chief Cabin Crew Instructor and Quality Manager, Lagos Aviation Academy, Hakeem Lawal; Head Of Business, Finchglow Holidays, Oluwaseun Afolabi; Group Managing Director, Finchglow Holdings, Bankole Bernard; Managing Director, TravelDen, Olugbenga Onitilo; Head Of Business, FCM Nigeria, Ayodele Abiola at Finchglow Holdings media appreciation event held in Lagos recently.
…Decries Lack Of Accurate Database For Cargo In Nigeria
…Says CASS Is To Cargo, As BSP For Passenger Revenue Mgt.
The Group Managing Director of Finchglow Holdings, Mr. Bankole Bernard has stated categorically that there will be changes in the cargo sub sector of the aviation industry with the introduction of the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS), Nigeria.
This is just as he lamented the lack of accurate database for air cargo business in Nigeria .
He also decried a situation where aviation agencies give conflicting data of the amount of cargo business done in a particular month or year, saying it is unacceptable.
The GMD said that for people to ascertain figures in air cargo business in the country, the figures must be kept and there must be a database for it.
He spoke at a media appreciation event organised by Finchglow Holdings yesterday at the premises of the Lagos Aviation Academy (LAA), one of the subsidiaries of Finchglow Holdings in Lagos.
Speaking on the air cargo business in Nigeria, Bernard stated that the way the business is operated in Nigeria calls for concern.
He said that airlines in the country have restricted air cargo business to the underbellies of aircraft, adding while airlines in other climes are dedicating airplanes to the business , majority of the airlines in the country use only the under bellies of the airplanes.
He pointed out that with the old narrative of doing air cargo business, Nigerian airlines cannot compete with their counterpart in other countries when it comes to cargo.
Bernard, who was recently appointed the Chairman of the Cargo Accounts Settlement Systems (CASS), Nigeria Local Consultative Council (LCC), assured that the dynamics of doing air cargo business must change..
According to him, “A lot is going to change now that I am the Chairman of CASS. The essence of CASS is to change the business dynamics. The passenger dynamics has progressed with Billing Settlement Plan (BSP) because we brought structure, transparency and efficiency into the business”
He hinted that with the introduction of CASS, Nigeria, through its Local Consultative Council (LCC), it is now a crucial pillar in the nation’s aviation industry, responsible for ensuring transparency and strengthening the financial settlement framework between airlines, logistics partners, and cargo operators.
The CASS Chairman noted that as the aviation industry navigates rising demand for efficiency, data integrity, and system-wide collaboration, the cargo sub-sector must not be left behind.
“With the introduction of CASS airlines will only be dealing with members of CASS who are the International Air Transport Association (IATA) accredited agents. That is how to clean up the sector and that is what we want to do with cargo business in Nigeria,” Bernard said.
He disclosed that already nine airlines have keyed into CASS, adding by January 2026, Emirates and Turkish Airlines will join the system .
“We are trying to structure the air cargo business and position it for transparent, efficient and data driven business,” he assured.
On why airlines are joining the CASS system, the Finchglow Holdings GMD, explained that it is because they experienced what happened with the introduction of the Billing Settlement Plan (BSP) by IATA that was created to manage passenger revenue.
He further explained that the BSP created room for airline’s inventory to spread, adding that CASS will be doing the same in the country for air cargo revenue management.
According to him, “We believe that with the introduction of CASS more airlines will come into key in and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) will also key -into the system for the benefit of the air cargo business.”
Speaking further, Bernard pointed out that when BSP came into Nigeria, IATA created a platform for airlines to know what BSP is all about..”
“Today, airline dedicate underbellies of aircraft to cargo but with the coming of CASS, a smaller aircraft will now be dedicated to cargo business.” he said.
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