Airline Operators Bemoan Extreme Taxes in Nigeria’s Aviation Business

Prof Obiora Okonkwo, Founding father of United Nigeria Airways and spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria, has expressed dismay over the quite a few prices imposed by authorities companies on the aviation sector, stating that these levies have turn out to be a big burden and a “nightmare” for home airways.

He known as on the Federal Authorities to urgently wade into the matter to save lots of home airline operators.

Okonkwo made this name on Wednesday in Abuja in the course of the celebration of the airline’s 4th anniversary.

Nonetheless, he famous that the foreign exchange coverage of President Bola Tinubu and the newly signed Cape City Conference have helped in lowering the price of operations within the Nigerian aviation trade.

He mentioned, “I believe that the international alternate coverage of the Tinubu administration has been of super benefit to the airline trade. Earlier than he got here into energy, it was a nightmare for us to have the ability to convert the naira to foreign currency to pay our obligations. We misplaced an entire lot of contracts.

“We misplaced a number of distributors. As a result of you have got your cash caught in naira within the financial institution, and also you don’t get the foreign exchange that you simply want. You possibly can’t even go and assist your self someplace. So, it’s a distinct story. You don’t want to trace funds like l talked about for the international operators, the federal government has cleared that, nearly a billion US {dollars}.

“It has opened up a brand new window for higher relationships. Our repute and integrity within the worldwide aviation trade are higher now. So we’re pleased with it.”

Okonkwo additionally said that unruly passengers are posing a problem to the trade, saying the rising menace has been hinged on delayed flights and cancellations.

The airline proprietor insisted that delays occur globally, interesting to passengers to be calm and perceive their rights and obligations as a flying passenger.

He said, “I can inform you that one other massive problem we’ve as operators is the passengers. The passengers whom we try day and evening to service and please are the identical individuals who will flip round and turn out to be unruly for no simply cause. They overemphasized the problems of delays. Delays occur in any a part of the world however we have to work along with the press to coach the travelling public about their rights and obligations. We all know what we owe them as operators.

“We overbend ourselves as operators to please them. We regularly do past what native flight operators do in any a part of the world to fulfill our passengers however regardless of all that, their attitudes and behaviors put a number of stress on the operators. Generally passengers beat up workers and likewise tools is destroyed on the airports.”

The AON official urged the federal government to create a window for diminished fee loans for airline operators and likewise scale back a number of prices on operators.

The Anambra state-born businessman defined that “one factor that may assist the expansion of this trade can be for the federal government to develop a programme that may give the window entry to native operators to a single-digit mortgage.

“They should lower down on the fees the operators pay totally different companies of presidency, in all they’re about twenty. The margin of this enterprise could be very low and if it’s a must to meet all these prices to NCAA, NAMA, FAAN, you’re left with nothing. It’s affecting us, we have to have more cash to have the ability to develop, develop after which additionally enhance the working surroundings for our workers.”

He added that “the federal government should understand that entry to credit score is essential to us operators as a result of we’re competing with individuals who have entry to loans at 3, 5 per cent most, and aviation is a world village and we are able to’t compete with them with weighty curiosity.”

The Govt Director and Chief Working Officer of the airline, Osita Okonkwo, couldn’t suppress his pleasure with the feat achieved by the airline thus far, recounting how the airline had opened extra routes throughout the nation itemizing Benin, Kano, and Sokoto as the most recent routes of the airline.

In response to him, United Nigeria just lately renewed its certificates whereas plans are at a complicated stage for graduation of its regional and worldwide operations.