Aviation Stakeholders Task Buhari on Jobs Creation

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Wednesday urged the President-elect, retired Maj.-Gen. MuhammaduBuhari, to look into the areas of creating jobs for Nigerian youths in the industry.

Mr Nogie Meggison, the Executive Chairman of AON, made the plea in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Meggison also advised the incoming administration to lay down a strong policy that would enhance development of the sector.

“We must not hesitate to add that the task to rebuild the aviation/airline sector must remain on course.

“This should be in the light of many issues that domestic operators have consistently put on the front burner for government’s attention,’’ he said.

According to him, there is need for aircraft maintenance hangar in the country.

Meggison said that the President-elect should also look into the “skyrocketing price of aviation fuel, and multiple tax regimes by aviation authorities on domestic carriers’’.

He said that Buhari should similarly look into the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on air transportation and other modes of transportation by foreign airlines operating in and out of Nigeria.

The leader of the operators said that there should also be improvement in service delivery by aeronautical agencies.

He said that the new administration should guarantee the operators access to a single digit loan from financial institutions and engagement of more Nigerian pilots/engineers by foreign carriers.