The
Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Tuesday grounded private and
charter services for their alleged refusal to pay the controversial new
aviation charges of $300,000 for Nigerian registered airlines and
$4,000 for non-registered charter operators.
The NAMA’s action caused dislocation in air travel for the rich
and others who needed air travel services. The Guardian learnt that two
governors from South East, one from South South, and three from the
North were unable to make their trips across the country as a result.
An operator who spoke to The Guardian Tuesday under condition of anonymity said the airspace management agency had issued a circular to the operators on the need to pay the stipulated amount before they can be cleared for take-off.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had penultimate month given the directive for airlines to comply or risk being grounded. The agency has also dragged the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to court over their failure to comply with the directive. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, NCAA said it imposed the fees on the operators in line with its mandate as a regulatory agency in the aviation industry.
But the operators argued that section 30 (2) (q) and 30 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 does not talk about the new charges as being bandied by the NCAA. The operators described the new policy as “callous and a ploy to overburden them with taxes”, adding that it is not in tandem with global practice. They alleged that the Ministry of Aviation, through the agencies, was looking for ways to shore up its revenue after they were allegedly plunged into huge debts.
The agencies were said to be in dire financial straits following allegations of indebtedness to banks and unaccounted internally generated revenue, which they have vehemently denied.
NAMA and NCAA are reported to be broke as they look to over-tax operators that are already finding it difficult to cope; a situation that has led to many of them going into extinction less than 10 years after coming into service.
Speaking to The Guardian, the Assistant Secretary General of AON, Mohammed Tukur, stated: “One operator wanted to operate and they said he could not until he has paid”.
Tukur stated that major operators, including Arik, Aero, Medview and IRS are backing charter operators because of what he described as “over taxation of the sector without commensurate application of the funds to tackle infrastructure and training deficiencies”.
He called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to intervene in matters concerning aviation and the near comatose state of the industry.
An operator who spoke to The Guardian Tuesday under condition of anonymity said the airspace management agency had issued a circular to the operators on the need to pay the stipulated amount before they can be cleared for take-off.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had penultimate month given the directive for airlines to comply or risk being grounded. The agency has also dragged the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to court over their failure to comply with the directive. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, NCAA said it imposed the fees on the operators in line with its mandate as a regulatory agency in the aviation industry.
But the operators argued that section 30 (2) (q) and 30 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 does not talk about the new charges as being bandied by the NCAA. The operators described the new policy as “callous and a ploy to overburden them with taxes”, adding that it is not in tandem with global practice. They alleged that the Ministry of Aviation, through the agencies, was looking for ways to shore up its revenue after they were allegedly plunged into huge debts.
The agencies were said to be in dire financial straits following allegations of indebtedness to banks and unaccounted internally generated revenue, which they have vehemently denied.
NAMA and NCAA are reported to be broke as they look to over-tax operators that are already finding it difficult to cope; a situation that has led to many of them going into extinction less than 10 years after coming into service.
Speaking to The Guardian, the Assistant Secretary General of AON, Mohammed Tukur, stated: “One operator wanted to operate and they said he could not until he has paid”.
Tukur stated that major operators, including Arik, Aero, Medview and IRS are backing charter operators because of what he described as “over taxation of the sector without commensurate application of the funds to tackle infrastructure and training deficiencies”.
He called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to intervene in matters concerning aviation and the near comatose state of the industry.
Culled from The Guardian
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