Dana Air noted that beside aviation fuel (jet A1) which constitutes about 40 percent of operating costs of airlines with huge impact on air ticket cost, VAT also drives the cost higher.
Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo, the Head, Commercial, Dana Air made the call in Lagos during the inauguration flight service of Dana Air from Abuja to Uyo and Calabar. He said it is not within the powers of the airlines alone to drive down cost of air ticket; government must also play a role.
“It’s not within our power only to drive down cost of air ticket. We are doing the best we can within the airline but at the same time we are trying to lobby government and service organisations within the aviation industry to make sure the costs are affordable. For a country of 150 million people and just about 5 million people are flying, it’s really not good enough. If we get about 10 percent (15 million) people flying, it will be better for the industry but the prices would have to come down to achieve this,” he said.
Commenting on the 30 aircraft window proposed for airlines by the Federal Ministry of Aviation, he said the airlines haven’t seen any reasonable commitment to the initiative.
“We haven’t seen reasonable visibility on the 30 aircraft window. We have heard about it but government hasn’t made it clear to airlines how that would work,” he said.
Also speaking during the inauguration of the service, the airlines Head of Corporate Communications, Tony Usidamen, disclosed that the decision to launch the operations is to offer convenience and an array of choices to its teeming guests while also noting that travelers going beyond Abuja will seamlessly connect onwards to their respective destinations.
“At Dana Air, we recognize the importance of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in the socio-economic development of the country as oil producing states. With both states playing host to several multinational companies in the oil and gas industry, we are confident that our new services from Uyo and Calabar to Lagos and Abuja will make the states even more attractive to investors,” Usidamen said.
