Kuku: ‘We’re not imposing new levy on passengers’

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, said the agency does not plan to impose an additional levy of $50 on passengers.

The FAAN MD’s reaction comes on the heels of a report that the agency was planning to impose a $50 baggage infrastructure levy on international passengers.

In her reaction, Kuku said FAAN would never impose such a charge, noting that instead, the authority had been working diligently to ensure that most of the funds generated from the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) are directed towards the maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure and equipment at the airports.

Her words, “FAAN will never impose such a charge. Instead, we have been working diligently to ensure that most of the funds generated from the Passenger Service Charge are directed towards the maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure and equipment at our airports.”

Recall that foreign airlines had expressed concern over what they termed ‘potential’ new infrastructure levy, which they said would take the joy out of air travel.

They urged a certain service provider’s proposal for an additional tax on travellers to be rejected by the authorities.

Already, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, calmed frayed nerves.

He said the government will not impose additional charges on the travelling public, adding that doing so would make life difficult for passengers, an indication that the proposal may not sail through.

He said, “Go about your normal business. That will be taken care of, and we will not do what will affect this sector negatively”.

The Minister has been at the forefront of pursuing the best interests of airlines and passengers with some of his reforms that are at the verge of lowering costs of domestic airline operations and the acquisition of aircraft by local operators at a favourable rate with delisting of the country from lessors blacklist.

Wole Shadare