Airline Operators Urge Buhari to Abolish Multiple Taxation on Local Airlines

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Monday advised the President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to abolish the multiple taxation and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on Nigerian airlines operating in the country.

Nogie Meggison, the association’s Chairman, told aviation correspondents in Lagos that multiple taxation imposed by various agencies of government that had hampered the airlines’ operations.

He urged the incoming government to come to their aid by removing the airlines’ landing and packing charges that were imposed by different agencies of government.

The expert lamented that foreign airlines operating in and out of Nigeria were not paying the charges.

“It is only Nigeria that has added VAT to charges in air transportation, meanwhile other nations have excluded it from their transport sectors,” he said.

Meggison said that the obliteration of VAT for airline operators would further bring the Nigerian aviation sector at par with other aviation industries around the world.

He noted that countries like the U.K., Ireland and some other European countries do not charge VAT from their carriers.

He stated, “I wonder why such cannot be replicated in the country if the government truly wanted the sector to grow.”

The expert also charged the government to stabilise aviation fuel for the carriers, but noted that this should not be solely left for the government alone to do,

Meggison said that rather, fuel marketers and operators should work together to ensure its stability in the local market.