How foreign airlines fleece Nigerians

Indications emerged, weekend, that the argument often put forward by foreign airlines that high airport and navigational charges in the country were responsible for the astronomical fares they charge Nigerians may not be tenable after all,  that the charges are even higher in Ghana, where the price of air tickets are far lower.

The Federal Government had been in a running battle for foreign airlines operating into the country to dismantle their fare disparity to make fares paid in Nigeria equivalent to those paid in other countries on the West Coast.

 while the landing charge imposed by international airports in Nigeria per landing is $0.00909 per kilogramme, it is $7 in Ghana.

It was also learnt that while no charge is imposed for lighting at international airports in Nigeria, the charge for a similar service in Ghana is $187.5.

Also, parking charge in Nigeria is $0.00114kg per hour, while in Ghana, it is $0.15, even as the passenger service charge, PSCs, is $50 in Nigeria against Ghana’s $100.

The charges are collected by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.

However, a peep into the table of navigational charges collected by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, indicated that they were higher in Nigeria than Ghana.

While overflying charges in Nigeria is $75 per kilometre flown, it is $200 (minimum) per kilometre flown in Ghana and $600 maximum.

At Nigerian airports, terminal charges come to a unit rate of  $199, while no such charge is imposed in Ghana.

 there is only a marginal difference between the price of  aviation fuel or JET-A1, a key component in commercial airline operations, between both countries.

While the product  sells for naira equivalence of between N180 and N182 per litre in Ghana,  it is sold for between N190 and N200 in Nigeria, depending on which part of the country it is sourced. It is costlier sourcing it in the North.
Similarly, en route charge in Nigeria is at the rate of $70 against Ghana’s none.

Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, had penultimate week issued foreign airlines operating in the country a 30-day ultimatum within which to dismantle disparity between fares charged in Nigeria and countries on the West Coast or face ban.