The domestic airlines under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON on Monday, demanded that the Federal Government should allow operators to procure the requisite license for the importation and distribution of aviation fuel, popularly called JetA1.
AON also asked the government to provide a dedicated support line for domestic airlines to access foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN in order to enable the carriers to meet their obligations to air travelers.
They made the call during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, at his office in Abuja.
The President of AON, Abdulmunaf Yunusa, said the purpose of 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.
The association made a presentation to the minister, where they said there was an urgent need to ensure the adequate supply of aviation fuel in the sector.
They noted that airline operators were the end users and should be granted permission to penetrate the market to source aviation fuel and distribute it, stressing that AON had been denied that right for a long time.
The group, also told the aviation minister that the issue of forex had become a major challenge for the operators.
They therefore called on the Federal Government to establish and provide a dedicated support line for domestic airline operators to have unfettered access to foreign exchange through the CBN at the official I & E window in support of local and international transactions.
Responding, Keyamo said the challenge of forex had been lingering, but promised that “the ministry will liaise with the CBN to see how operators can get forex at a single-digit interest rate of 1.5 to two percent as requested.”
He then charged the operators to always ensure the safety of their airlines, stressing that this was key to the success of the aviation industry
