By Dickson Omobola

Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative, ASRTI/ART, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to suspend taxes, tariffs and endless charges hindering development of the aviation industry.

President of ART, Air comm Demola Onitiju (retd), also called on Tinubu to initiate policies that would address airlines survival and growth with a view to lowering the swift increase in domestic airfares.

Onitiju, who spoke at the first ART quarterly Business Breakfast Meeting in Lagos, called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, to constitute governing boards for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and other agencies in the sector.

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He said: “The ART has been a consistent advocate of NCAA’s autonomy consistent with the Act establishing it and global best practices. We do this to ensure that it is adequately  insulated from short-term political pressure. In the  Nigerian circumstances, the NCAA is expected to be both benign and harsh in its  spontaneous enforcement of standards and rules to retain our trust.

“In order to create a conducive environment for aviation and tourism to thrive, the ART urges the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu to initiate deliberate policies to review and suspend taxes, tariffs and charges (within a given time frame) in order to bring succour to aviation and allied businesses in Nigeria.

“Such policies should address airlines survival and growth with a view to lowering the recent astronomical increase in air fare on the domestic scene. The Consumer Rights Protection directorate in the NCAA  should live up to its billing in ensuring maximum comfort and compensation for the traveling public promptly where infractions are established.”