The Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI/ART) registered its dismay at the arbitrary increment of fees and charges by Aviation Handling Companies.
This is just as the group asserted that the purported astronomical increase negates the spirit of taming inflation in the aviation sector.
ASRTI/ART’s position is contained in a statement signed by the group’s Publicity Secretary, Albinus Chiedu and made available to journalists in Lagos.
“We strongly condemn this imposition of outrageously high handling fees coming at a time the ART and other stakeholders are advocating government’s intervention and deliberate policies to reduce airlines’ operating cost with a view to obtaining a downward review of the cost of air tickets and the survival of Nigerian airlines. The purported astronomical increase negates the spirit of taming inflation in the aviation sector and it is capable of further reducing the volume of the patronage by the traveling public and can compromise safety in the sector,” ART said.
The ART called for immediate reversal of the increment and a conciliatory tripartite meeting of the handling companies, the airlines and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) during which acceptable charges will be attained.
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