Aviation fuel marketers have been selling kerosene as aviation fuel to airlines in the country, the Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria, the umbrella body of all domestic airlines in the country, Captain Nogie Meggison, has alleged.
He said the practice was already affecting the performance of the local carriers’ aircraft engines.
Meggison spoke at a one-day breakfast meeting organised by Aviation Round Table, an industry advocacy body, in Lagos on Wednesday.
“Oil marketers are now selling kerosene to us as aviation fuel. The NCAA is aware of this because we have sent a document to the NCAA on the issue,” the AON chairman said.
He said that the International Air Transport Association had sent a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to all airline operators coming into the country to beware of aviation fuel being sold to them in Nigeria, stressing that the NCAA had been notified of the development.
Meggison, however, noted that issue was still regarded as rumour, which airline operators were already investigating.
Also, the AON leader noted that Nigeria aviation fuel was one of the most expensive in the world, stating that it was more expensive than what was sold in Dubai and Ghana.
He said, “Aviation fuel is an additional challenge for operators in the country. Nigeria has the most expensive fuel for Jet A1 in the world. Warri refinery was producing Jet A1 up until the 1990s when it stopped working. The availability of Jet A1 would make other airlines to come around for fueling in Nigeria.
“Also, the Value Added Tax collected from airlines is the only mode of transportation being charged VAT today by the Federal Inland Revenue Services at the point of sales as against the 21 days stipulated by the constitution.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Arik Air, Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his anti-corruption war to the aviation industry.
He said this at the ART forum while speaking on the topic, ‘Ownership, funding and sustainability of Nigeria airlines… a perennial challenge.’
