Analysts worry over Nigeria’s aviation safety on disparity in ground handling charges

ANALYSTS IN THE AVIATION SECTOR have expressed worry over the disparity in the charges of ground handling companies in Nigeria as well as in comparison with other countries in the West African sub-region, saying the situation in Nigeria if not checked could impact safety as it was already impacting revenue generation negatively.

A cross section of analysts who spoke on the matter noted that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was losing billions of naira annually from the 5 per cent gross annual turnover paid by the ground handling companies as some even say it is an economic sabotage against Nigeria.

For instance, it is observed that ground handling rates in Nigeria is the lowest in the entire African countries, if not the world and this has been a thorny issue for over a decade.

Checks show that in Guinea, the charges are $1,673 for narrow bodied aircraft and $4,715 for wide bodied aircraft, in Senegal, it is $2,250 for narrow bodied aircraft and $5,259 for wide bodied aircraft and in Cameroon, the handlers charge $1,400 for narrow bodied and $4,500 for wide bodied.

Further investigation shows that in Sierra Leone, the charges are $2,250 for narrow bodied aircraft and $5,250 for wide body aircraft while in Ghana, it is $1,500 for narrow bodied aircraft and $4,150 wide bodied aircraft.

However, in Nigeria, the rates oscillate between $400 and $1,139 for narrow bodied aircraft, depending on the negotiating power of a foreign carrier and $3,000 and $3,200 for wide bodied aircraft, depending on the negotiation of the foreign carrier.

It was learnt that these rates have been in force since late 1980s and 1999.