Chairman, House of Representatives, Committee on Aviation
The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has advised that the new aircraft ground handling rate of $3900 be suspended put until after its next meeting with the stakeholders.
The meeting is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 for all parties to come to an agreement on a rate that would be acceptable to all.
The new rate which shot up the handling rate of jumbo aircraft of the size of Boeing 777 series by over 1,000 percent was expected to take effect from Friday October 1, 2021.
The current rate for the same aircraft type is $330
The umbrella bodies for local and foreign airlines in Nigeria, Airline Operators of Nigeria, (AON) and the Airline Operators’ Council, (AOC) had earlier petitioned the committee for its intervention on the new rate which they considered as cut throat.
This prompted the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to summon the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musu Nuhu, and the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigera (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu, Association of Aircraft Grand Handlers of Nigeria, (AGHAN) and the International Air Transport Association, (IATA) to a meeting with the committee on Wednesday, September 29, 2021.
The summoned are to explain the rationale for the astronomical increase at the meeting
The chairman of the committee Honourable Nnaji in his opening remarks stressed that the committee was concerned that the new rate would eventually be transfered to the end users, passengers, since it would likely reflect in air fare.
The gap between the old rate and new rate he noted, “appears too high and does not support any economic logic and economy of scale”
After deliberations on the submissions by all parties, the committee unanimously agreed that the meeting be adjourned till next Wednesday, October 6 for further deliberations on the submissions made by all parties and for the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu who was said to be out of the country to attend in person.
The committee was of the view that was need to ensure that an amicable resolution is reached by all interest groups.
