Despite aviation unions’ protests over alleged N100 billion airlines’
indebtedness to aviation agencies, especially the Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), airlines do not appear ready yet to begin
payment of the debt.
According a competent aviation source, a major debtor airline has yet to come to agreement as to the actual value of its debt.
“They have had meetings with the permanent secretary of Aviation on
the issue, but they are saying that the debt figures are unrealistic,
demanding one adjustment or the other. I can say that they have not
shown any readiness to begin paying the debts,” the source said.
During the protest, the general secretary of NUATE, Comrade Olayinka
Abioye alleged that one domestic airline alone owed FAAN N25 billion and
gave all debtor airlines one week to settle their debts.
Also addressing the workers, the president of ATSSSAN Comrade
Benjamin Okewu said the debt profile by airlines were becoming too
alarming.
Okewu said, “A bleak future await all debtor airlines as it will
never be business as usual. I believe aviation stakeholders still
remember how sent one concessionaire at this airport packing from the
airport and same will be extended to debtor airlines and
concessionaires.
“If we want to achieve, let all prepare for war. We must act and consolidate our decision to do the right thing.”
In spite of the debt controversies, LEADERSHIP gathered that affected
airlines have not even come to terms with the factual amount that they
owe. Some of them merely asked for “reconciliation of the debt figures”
stating that the debt values as given by FAAN have been over bloated.
The ministry of Aviation had in August 2015 alleged that the debts
owed to the aviation agencies by Nigerian airlines had risen to about
N100 billion. The debts are alleged to be owed to the Federal Airports
FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The debts emanated from failure of the airlines to remit to agencies
five per cent service charge, landing and parking charges as well as
en-route navigational charges which they collect from air passengers on
behalf of the agencies.
The permanent secretary at the Aviation ministry, Hajia Binta Bello
and FAAN senior staff in August met with some of the airlines to review
their indebtedness and a committee was set up, which would reconcile the
debts.
On the debts owed by the airline, Arik Air’s deputy managing
director, Captain Ado Sanusi, had called for “a rescheduling” of the
airline’s debts, as well as a downward review of interest rates.
“The aviation parastatals should do a re-set button for the airlines.
They can look at the whole debts and negotiate with the airlines. They
can reconcile the debts and tell the airlines to pay a percentage of the
total debts and agree on payment modalities,” he said.
The post ‘Airlines Not Ready To Pay Debts To Agencies’ appeared first on Nigerian News from Leadership News.
Source:: Leadership Newspaper
