By Lawani Mikairu

Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, Plc has called on the federal government to intervene on the low   rates currently charged in Nigeria by   aviation ground   handlers for their services.  This is just as the company   has renewed its ground handling contract with Arik Air.

Arik Air

Speaking on the ground handling charges during a media facility tour of SAHCO,   the Managing Director, Mr Basil   Agboarumi lamented that despite the inflation in the country over the years, the ground handling rates remained the same.

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He, however, said that discussions were ongoing to address the situation, but called on the government to intervene in the situation to bring sanity to the system.

“We are underpaid for the services that we render as a ground handling company. For a very long time, handling business in Nigeria has been static despite the inflation in the country over the years.

“We have huge facilities that we need to service and maintain regularly and we still have other running costs that we have to handle. The ground handling companies need to survive. Our charges are not commensurate with our services.

Speaking about the capacity of the company’s warehouses, he said the import warehouse could accommodate about three million tonnage of cargo monthly, and it is equipped   with six freezers and refrigerators . He also said SAHCO has consistently recorded 4.43 per cent annual revenue growth since 2009 when the company was privatized.

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Meanwhile,  SAHCO) has renewed its ground handling contract with Arik Air. Mr. Basil Agboarumi, the Managing Director/CEO, SAHCO, during the renewal of ground handling service agreement with Arik Air at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos promised to deliver quality and improved ground handling services to all its clientele across the nation’s airports especially as it acquires more state-of-the-art equipment for operations.