…Keyamo to set up committee to look into the multiple charges
The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) has stated that the Lagos and Abuja airports in Nigeria are the most expensive airports to operate in terms of levies and taxes.
According to the association’s presentation at the ongoing three-day Aviation Summit in Abuja, the Abuja Airport is the most expensive, followed by the Lagos Airport.
Mr. Kamil Al Alwadi, vice president of IATA for Africa and the Middle East, stated in his presentation that Nigerian airports charge foreign airlines approximately 27 levies, making them the most expensive in the world.
Al Alwadi said that most of these charges come from other organizations and have discouraged airlines from traveling to the country.
“What we need to understand is that a lot of these charges are not from the aviation agencies, but are more in the cargo area. All sorts of people, some are illegally making these charges. So, aviation will start, at least we will consolidate and see where we can streamline and merge those charges and see what can be done. But there are a lot of people and lots of charges have nothing to do with aviation aeronautical charges. It is other organisations that are in the airport that put these charges. But, sometimes as Nigerians, we need to all sit down as a team and see the damage we are doing to our country,” Al Alwadi said.
He continued, “Like in Lagos, there are so many charges, you want to export your cargo, there are so many charges. By the time you pay those charges, your products are not even competitive anymore. That is why you see a lot of planes bringing in cargo, and they leave empty out of Nigeria, because exports are not viable and lots of these are charged by plethora of these agencies. It is really hurting us.”
In a recent development, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, has established a committee to look into the multiple charges to see how they can be streamlined.
