International Air Transportation Association, has stated that Nigeria’s Lagos and Abuja airports are the most expensive in the world to run in terms of levies and taxes.
The Abuja Airport was cited by the organisation as being the most expensive, followed by the Lagos airport, in its presentation at the three-day Aviation Summit taking place in Abuja.
The Vice President of IATA for Africa and the Middle East, Mr. Kamil Al Alwadi, stated in his presentation that Nigerian airports charge international airlines roughly 27 fees, making it the most expensive in the world and preventing airlines from flying into the country.
“Africa has put itself in a a place where it cannot help its own, expensive fuel, excessive charges, leasing and insurance through the roof, the airlines need to be financially viable too. The airlines contribute to the country’s GDP, but Nigeria needs to decide what to do for them to survive”, he said.
Alwadi chastised the Nigerian government for imposing high and many levies and taxes on the aircraft industry.
He bemoaned the region’s stalled growth, particularly in Nigeria, and urged the Nigerian government to foster an atmosphere that would allow airlines to operate and prosper.
According to him, the continent continues to be a challenging market in which to operate an airline, with economic, infrastructure, and connectivity challenges impacting the industry’s performance.
Carriers based in Africa are anticipated to generate a moderate combined loss of about $484 million in 2023.
The administration claimed that the quarterly meeting would provide it the chance to learn more about the nation’s FX problem and would also result in the resolution of any outstanding concerns.
