NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

*Nigerian Airlines Are Dying Due To High Operational Costs, Says AON By Lateef Lawal Airlines Operators of Nigeria(AON)have resolved to formerly intimate President Umaru Yar'Adua with the problems confronting them with a view of securing a bail out. The resolution was arrived at during an emergency meeting held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend. Amongst their complaints were the current unbearable high operational costs arising from double taxation on aircraft spare parts(Customs Duties and Value Added Tax) and high cost of aviation fuel. Confirming the highlights of the meeting to NigerianAviationNews, both the General Secretary of AON, Captain Mohammed Joji and the Deputy Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur claimed that it was the joint position of the association that government should give all domestic operators waiver from paying the Terminal Navigstional Charges being introduced by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA). They agree that if the charges are allowed, it would add to their already worrisome burden and could lead to the grounding of more airlines. The operators also took exception to the recently introduced New Regulation by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA), claiming that there were lots of anomalies that need to be corrected. They therefore resolved to sought for an audience with the Director General of NCAA with a view to resolving of the grey areas. Members of AON further complained of high operational charges by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN). On the controversy surrounding the General Aviation Terminal concession, members unanimously resolved that government should not allow any airline to develop the terminal or any terminal in the country so as not to confer undue monopoly by a single airline above others. In addition, they urged the government to speedily resolve the lingering concession crisis in the interest of the airlines and the traveling public, "as we will not tolerate the stiffing of our operations due an unnecessary crisis". Present at the meeting were representatives of-Bristow Helicopters, Dana Airlines, Chanchangi, MidAir, Nigerian Eagle Airlines, Sosoliso, Overland, Skypower Express, Associated Airlines, IRS, Aero Contractors and Afrijet.