Air Peace Boss Urges South Africa Boycott As AON Seeks Aviation Tax Review

The Airline Operators of Nigeria has asked President Bola Tinubu to set up an independent committee to review taxes and charges in the aviation sector.

Premium Times reported that AON Vice-President and Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, made the call during an Arise Television interview on Tuesday.

Onyema said some charges paid by domestic airlines had become unsustainable, including the five per cent passenger service charge collected by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

He said the review committee should include independent professionals, technocrats, aviation experts and industry operators, arguing that taxes and charges had contributed to the collapse of several airlines.

The appeal comes after the NCAA placed 11 domestic operators on a no-pay-no-service sanction list over outstanding obligations before suspending enforcement following concerns about airline costs and industry stability.

Premium Times also reported that Nigerian airlines have relied more on bank loans as aviation fuel and other operating costs continue to strain domestic carriers.

In the same interview, Onyema urged Nigerians to consider a peaceful economic boycott of South Africa over recurring xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals.

Punch reported that the Air Peace chairman asked Nigerians to stop investing in South Africa, but rejected attacks on South Africans or South African-linked businesses operating in Nigeria.

He also opposed shutting down firms such as MTN, saying Nigerians hold interests in some of those businesses and that many of them employ Nigerians.

The call follows renewed anti-foreigner protests in parts of South Africa, where demonstrators have demanded that undocumented migrants leave the country by June 30.

Sources: Premium Times, Punch