The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have praised the government for the zero per cent tariff on aircraft and spare parts import.
They said the measure would airline operators to bring in new aircraft for their operations.
National President, ATSSSAN, Benjamin Okewu, said the policy had provided an opportunity for operators to bring in aircraft that can stand the test of time.
He said it was an opportunity for the operators to refleet their aircraft and reduce their fares, pool resources and source for loan with one digit interest from the international financial organisations to bring equipment that will enhance the air transport system in the country.
He said: “For airline operators, they should capitalise on this noble opportunity to refleet their stock of aircraft. In doing that, they must take into consideration the routes they are flying. The route must determine the type of the aircraft to be brought in.”
Okewu noted that tarriff has been the major constraint on the part of the airline, especially in the last five years when it became obvious that local airlines were on the verge of going down, as a result of high tariffs on parts, which led to calls by the unions to grant waivers to the aviation sector.
The ATSSSAN boss lamented that a cartel has hijacked the oil sector, making it difficult to have JET A1 refined in the country to the detriment of the airlines, adding that aviation fuel accounted for about 40 per cent of the running cost of an airline.
He called for the building of dedicated refineries for JET A1, as aviation has continued to play a vital role in driving the economy. ”As a stop gap measure, the government should instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to produce the required quantity that is needed in the country,” he said.
On the construction of five new international airports by the Federal Government, Okewu was optimistic that the long-awaited plan have started taking off, describing it as good.
Comrade Mohammed Safiyanu, the National President of NUATE, said the removal of tariff on aircraft and spares import have been the desire of the union and the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON).
According to Safiyanu, airline operators have argued that the cost of importation of an aircraft and its parts have been responsible for the high cost of fares, adding that the zero tariffs will go a long way in crashing air fares on the domestic routes.
The NUATE chief, however, called on the government to look into the possibility of refining petroleum products in the country especially the JET A1 to reduce airfares in the country.
“We saying that the refineries must be made to work and refine these products in the country, especially JET A1. This will make more people to fly instead of going by road,” Safiyanu said.
On the five new airports approved for construction by the government, the union leader said it was a good development if only the existing ones could be maintained along with the construction of the new international ones.
He advised that work going on at the old airports should not be abandoned while constructing the new terminals, adding that there was hope for the country’s aviation sector.
Also speaking on the issue, Arik Air described it as a heart warming concession that would assuage the high operating costs of domestic airlines.
The Executive Vice President/Managing Director, Arik Air Mr Chris Ndulue, praised the concession and that it would not only enhance safety, but also assuage the high operating costs incurred by airlines.
He praised the President for mustering the political will to incorporate the tariff waiver in the 2013 budget , thereby giving vent to the long sought relief for domestic airlines that have been reeling under the cumbersome Custom procedures for imported aircraft and spare parts.
