Lagos, June 24, 2026 – Airline operators in the country are seeking an audience with President Bola Tinubu over the current charges and taxes in the aviation industry.
Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive of Air Peace, who disclosed this while speaking on Arise Television, said there was the need for the president to understand the challenges threatening the survival of airlines in the country.
“The time has come and I believe this government will listen, we are seeking an appointment with the president and we think the president should see us and hear from us.
“We are patriotic citizens of this country, we appreciate what this government has done for us, but they need to listen more to us and get to know the pains, the pain points that are hitting these airlines.
“If any airline goes down, banks will take a hit and it will create massive job losses. A lot of people will be thrown into the unemployment market and of course, you don’t know who will be the next hand rubber, next suicide bomber, next kidnapper, and all that.
“You’ll be promoting insecurity the other way.
“We need to sit down with Mr. President and tell him face to face; we don’t want anybody to go between him and us. We want to sit with our very progressive minister, sit down with him, sit down with the president, and tell him the truth.”
Onyema listed the five per cent Passenger Service Charge as one of the major concerns of operators, which he said, had added additional burden on airlines.
“If I charge N100,000, the NCAA will take five per cent. If I charge N200,000, the NCAA will take five per cent of N200,000. I didn’t set up business with you because aviation itself does not give you a five percent gain.
“What is the truth? The truth we have to tell the president is that the five percent passengers TSC, the tax, the airlines and they will tell you that oh, it’s the passengers that pay it. We refuse to accept. We refuse to accept,” he said.
Onyema urged the president to set up a committee to review aviation taxes and charges in the industry so as to address the concerns that have contributed to the collapse of airlines over the years.
“We want Mr. President to set up aviation taxes and charges review committee.
“It is very important so that it doesn’t look as if we are trying to fool the government. Let the government select people, technocrats, people from aviation, and then some of us from the airline industry.
“Raise a committee of aviation taxes and charges, I mean a review committee to look into these charges that airlines have been crying over time to be responsible for the demise of airlines in this country,” he said.
