Chinelo Obogo
Air Peace Airline has said the Federal Government is tackling the challenges faced by domestic carriers and denied reports attributed to its Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, blaming the government for imposing multiple taxation on local carriers.
The airline said the reports which resurfaced recently and was attributed to Mrs Olajide is an interview which she granted two years ago has been overtaken by events as the Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had since addressed the issues raised in the report.
In the resurfaced report, she was quoted to have stated that the government should stop granting multiple designations to foreign carriers and berating the government for continuously imposing multiple taxes and charges on the aviation operators.
The airline said the interview was done two years ago and that since then the airline had changed its stance as government had taken steps to address the issues.
The airline in its statement also said it had received a notice from the civil aviation authority of a West African country it flies into, stopping it from operating in and out of points beyond their country because the Nigeria had refused to grant a similar request to their airline.
This shows that government is continuously reviewing the challenges faced by the airlines with a view to mitigating these challenges to create an enabling environment for our indigenous carriers.
The statement from the airline read: “We are stating categorically that this interview is not a recent interview. Mrs Olajide granted this interview about multiple designations almost two years ago.
“The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on assumption of office as the substantive Minister of Aviation, swung into action geared towards addressing all these complaints to the satisfaction of all the airlines in the overall interest of the nation.
“He called several meetings with the airlines’ chief executives in order to find a lasting solution to the issues.
“Air Peace has since then praised the Federal Government’s efforts at addressing these issues.
“How could Air Peace be complaining about issues the airline has since commended the Federal Government for handling to the satisfaction of the industry?
“We have, as an airline, in recent times, come under deliberate attacks from quarters that could no longer disguise their ugly intentions for an entity that is catering for over 3,000 workers, an entity that is moving the Nigerian economy positively.
“We see the publications as an attempt by some mischief-makers to put Air Peace at loggerheads with the government.
“The news platforms releasing these publications are giving the impression that Air Peace as an airline does not appreciate the efforts of government.
“Recently, Air Peace received a notice from the Civil Aviation Authority of one of the west coast countries we fly into, stopping us from operating into and out of points beyond their country. Their reason was simply: the Federal Government of Nigeria had refused to grant a similar request to their airline.
“This is a testimonial that the honourable minister is continuously reviewing the challenges faced by the airlines with a view to mitigating these challenges to create an enabling environment for our indigenous carriers.
“Air Peace truly commends this great effort and will never undermine the laudable efforts of the minister and other regulatory bodies.”