Domestic airlines, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Monday, demanded that the Federal Government allow them to get the required licence for the importation and distribution of aviation fuel, popularly called JetA1.
AON also asked the government to provide a dedicated line to access foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria to enable them to meet their obligations to passengers.
They called during a courtesy visit on the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, at his office in Abuja.
Abdulmunaf Yunusa, the President, AON, said the reason for the visit was to brief the minister about the challenges in the sector and proffer solutions, as well as congratulate him on his recent appointment as minister.
Roland Iyayi, CEO of Top Brass Aviation, stated in the association’s presentation to the minister that it was important to guarantee the sector had an appropriate supply of aviation fuel.
According to him, there is an urgent need to facilitate the liberalisation, procurement and distribution of JetA1 nationwide and allow AON to procure a licence for product importation and distribution and also immediate review of industry multiple taxes, fees and charges.
He added that airline operators were the end consumers and should be given permission to enter the market to source and distribute aviation fuel. He claimed that AON had been refused the opportunity to obtain the license for a very long period.
Iyayi, who did the presentation for the group, also told Keyamo that the issue of forex had become a major challenge for the operators.
