Airline Operators Congratulate Buhari, Jonathan
… Seeks Special Policy To Reposition Air Transport Sector
SAN FRANCISCO, April 08, (THEWILL) – The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has congratulated Nigerians for the peaceful atmosphere that prevailed during the just-concluded Presidential Election.
AON, in a letter signed by its Executive Chairman, Nogie Meggison, also congratulated the President – Elect , Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ( rtd) as well as President Goodluck Jonathan for his acceptance of the outcome of the election.
Expressing gratitude to the President for his strides in the aviation sector in many ways that impacted airline operations, the AON added that the task to rebuild the aviation / airline sector must remain on course in the light of many issues that domestic operators have consistently put on the frontier burner for government's attention .
It however listed the issues agitating the minds of its members to include: The need for aircraft maintenance hangar in the country ; the exclusion of domestic airlines by the Central Bank of Nigeria window; the skyrocketing price of aviation fuel ; multiple tax regime by aviation authorities to domestic carriers; the removal of Value Added Tax ( VAT) on air transportation as other modes of transportation.
Other issues in which the AON is seeking Federal Government's intervention include the improvement of service delivery by aeronautical agencies; access to single digit loan by financial institutions; engagement of more Nigerian pilots / engineers by foreign carriers as over 500 pilots and engineers are currently unemployed; multiple entry points granted foreign carriers and many others.
The AON said “We hope that as the incoming administration settles down in office, it will put a strong aviation policy in place and would engage AON on how to move the strategic air transport sector forward to a place where we should be .
“We congratulate the President – Elect as we look forward to a successful administration that would leverage the aviation sector to national development.”