The Aviation Ground Handling Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) has vowed to work with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to set up minimum safety benchmark on handling rates among ground handlers.
This is with a view to achieve price parity among operators in Africa in view of the wide margin in fees charged by Nigerian operators and those outside the country.
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President of AGHAN, Mr. Olaniyi Adigun who stated this in his presentation during the just concluded LAAC conference in Lagos tasked the NCAA to put necessary regulations and policies in place, which would usher in new handling rates for the sub-sector.
Daily Trust reports that Ground handling rates in Nigeria remain the lowest in Africa.
For instance in Guinea, foreign airlines are charged $1,673 (narrow body); $4,715 (wide body), Senegal; $2,250 and $5,259, Cameroon; $1,400 and $4,500, Sierra Leone; $2,250 and $5,250 and Ghana with $1,500 and $4,150 for passenger flight.
Cargo flight attracts $2,300, $1,750, $2,300, and $2,500 in Senegal, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, respectively for narrow body aircraft, while for wide body aircraft, the ground handling in those countries charge between $4,450 and $5,250 per flight.
In his presentation titled, “Ground Handling In Nigeria: Management, Policy & Regulation,” AGHAN President said the group was willing to work with the NCAA to set up operating standards, safety and security standards, establish minimum safety threshold handling rates within the sector, encourage an enabling environment to attract capital inflow into the sector through local and foreign investors and encourage healthy competition among the players without compromising safety, security and the economic interest of the nation.
He said: ”Any rate below the established safety threshold for ground handling has the tendency to jeopardise safety and security and loss of revenue to the Federal Government through the 5 per cent concessionary fees pay by the handling companies to the government.
“To achieve the aims enumerated above, it is our strong believe that if both the Federal Government (NCAA) and the various stakeholders come together to put necessary regulations and policies including setting up of a minimum safety threshold handling rates in place, the ground handling sector will experience a rebirth.
“This will increase government revenue and create stability in terms of safety and security within the sector and the industry at large. This can effectively work out if the extant Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR) Act is amended to further empower NCAA to properly regulate the industry like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Besides, he appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action in the passage of the NCAR presently before it, stating that this would further improve the Nigerian aviation industry and bring it at par with its counterparts in developed nations.
“An improved aviation industry is a plus to the ground handling sub-sector,” he said.
