The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has stated that it has not increased landing and parking charges for domestic and international airline companies operating in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists at a press briefing, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, Managing Director, FAAN, said the agency has not increased landing and parking charges.
“We have not increased landing and parking charges for international airline operators since 2002 and that was when tickets were going for N300,000, not now that they are going for thousands of dollars.
“Domestic land and parking was last reviewed in 2012 when tickets were being sold for N6000; now tickets are being sold for N100,000.
“Actually, there are more than enough reasons for FAAN to increase, because in 2012 tickets were going for between N6000 and N7000, and we have not reviewed them since.
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“It is important to caution that we need to be careful with what we read and those sending out the news should always cross check their facts.
“We do not enjoy coming out to refute disinformation, we do not enjoy it at all. The fact remains that we have not increased our charges and we do not plan to do it this year,” he said.
He added that if FAAN planned to increase fares, the operators would be told, acknowledging that the new MMIA terminal was part of the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition the aviation sector and make passengers enjoy exciting travelling experience.
Similarly, Capt. Musa Nuhu, Director-General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), also said he is not aware of any new charges, citing he has not authorised any increase in charges.
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“We don’t charge people to make profits; what we charge is what we spend on providing services. That is what we charge to recover for those services.
“And you can imagine if you were charging N5,000 ten years ago, calculating the inflationary pressure and the devaluation of the naira, we are actually recovering costs, we are providing services to the industry at subsidised rate,” he said.
He added that there was need to consider the review of the existing charges as the agency was in need of resources to continue to provide services, as the NCAA depended on the revenue it was generating, and not the government, to provide services.
He said that the new terminal has created more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, adding that the construction of similar airport projects in Abuja, Port–Harcourt, Enugu and Kano, is reflective of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in infrastructural development.