Aviation Tax: Airline operators boycott charges …Our charges are international standard –FAAN

Spokesman for the group, Mohammed Tukur, who said he had been mandated to speak on behalf of the airlines, told our reporter that all remittances, both old and new, have been stopped pending the time the agencies will review the costs.Consequently, the operators said effective from November 1, 2013, they have stopped all remittances payable […]

Spokesman for the group, Mohammed Tukur, who said he had been mandated to speak on behalf of the airlines, told our reporter that all remittances, both old and new, have been stopped pending the time the agencies will review the costs.
Consequently, the operators said effective from November 1, 2013, they have stopped all remittances payable to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other relevant aviation bodies, stressing that the “numerous” charges had the potential to cripple their operations.
They called on the federal government to intervene on what they described as high charges imposed by various aviation agencies in the aviation industry.
He said the airlines are in serious dire straits occasioned by the imposition of security charge, landing and parking charge, remittance of five per cent taxes on every ticket sold, fuel tax, multiple navigational charges, airport tax, very expensive office spaces among other numerous taxes.
“The recent one is $3000 and $4000 newly introduced by the NCAA for charter operators, with Nigerian registered charter operators paying $3000 and foreign registered charter operators parting with $4000 for a single take-off and landing.
The carriers expressed disappointment over obsolete infrastructure dotting the nation’s airports, coupled with epileptic navigational tools that many said has contributed to the so many scare in Nigeria’s airspace.
Meanwhile, Aviation spokesman Yakubu Datti has dismissed threats by operators insisting charges are based on what obtains in other countries. He said: “The charges are based on International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) which is the world body that regulates airline business. Airline business is global; there are no local rules for Nigeria. All Charges are within the confines of the regulations of ICAO. Our local airlines that fly to other countries also pay some charges on these airports. So, it’s not different, we regulate along the confines of international conventions. When you go to Europe or America you pay landing fee, you pay parking fee, and these are normal charges. You pay tax for the airport.”