By Lawani Mikairu

Aviation ground handling companies have called on the federal government to facilitate the adjustment of aviation ground handling rates in the country in the interest of safety in the sector.

This is just as Nigeria currently has the lowest rates in the West African sub-region. The Stakeholders have, therefore, called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA to intervene in the handling rates for aircraft for the sustainability of the business.

According to one of the Stakeholders who spoke on the issue, the abysmally low rates also apply to domestic airlines that are not paying commensurate rates

He said: ”We are proposing to adjust domestic ramp handling rates to be at per with the exchange rate which has significantly impacted on the cost of operations”.

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Statistics show that ” while Nigeria companies charge between $400 and $1,139 for narrow-body aircraft and between $3,000 and $3,200 for wide-body, countries like Guinea charge $1,673 for narrow-body and $4,715 wide-body aircraft, Ghana – $1,500 narrow-body and $4,150 wide-body, among others.”

” The narrow-body aircraft include B737, Airbus A320, ER 135 and ATR aircraft, while the wide-body aircraft are categorised as B767, A330, B777, B747, and A380 aircraft.”

Speaking on the rates, the former Managing Director, SAHCO, Alhaji Oluropo Owolabi said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, should intervene as the country was losing foreign exchange and the foreign carriers were taking undue advantage of Nigerian ground handling companies.

“This act has painfully affected the revenues of the handlers, the take-home of FAAN at the end of the year. The total sales that we pay as remuneration to FAAN at the end of every year surely will diminish. It is what we take that we pay for. As we are losing, FAAN is losing and NCAA is not taking up its responsibility to ensure everything is being done rightly”.

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In his contribution, Mr. Kayode Oluwasegun-Ojo, former Managing Director, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, said the right rates will lead to the sustainability of the industry.

“Lack of sustainability for aviation has serious implications because aviation actually starts from the ground and you land back on the ground. It is the ground handling companies that do that”

“If you are charging less than cost, it means you are subsidizing from somewhere and this will have an impact on the service you provide, equipment on the ground, and others,” he said.

Speaking about the low rates, Mr. Chike Ogeah, former Chief Executive Officer, CEO Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO said, “It shows that something is wrong for Nigeria to have the lowest handling charges on the continent. NCAA as the regulator must sit down with the handling companies to come out with a realistic regime for the handling companies”.

Vanguard News Nigeria