Travel/Tourism
How New Tax Laws Will Benefit Aviation Industry—Oyedele
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has defended Nigeria’s new tax laws, insisting that the reforms will ease, rather than worsen the financial pressure on the aviation industry.
According to the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, the new framework directly addresses several long-standing tax issues that have driven up airline operating costs over the years.
In a detailed explanation by the Committee’s Chairman, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, the government acknowledged the genuine challenges facing airlines, including multiple taxes, levies and regulatory charges.
This comes after the chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, cautioned that Nigeria’s domestic aviation sector faces a serious financial strain as the tax provisions set to kick start by 2026 risk pushing ticket prices beyond N1 million and forcing airlines to suspend operations.
In a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mr Oyedele noted that extensive consultations with airline operators have taken place and that engagements with stakeholders are ongoing to ensure the reforms deliver tangible relief.
He explained that at the centre of the reforms is the removal of the 10 per cent withholding tax (WHT) on aircraft leases, which has historically been the single largest tax burden on Nigerian airlines. Under the previous regime, airlines paid non-recoverable WHT on leased aircraft, significantly increasing costs and straining cash flow.
He said the new tax laws eliminate this automatic charge and replace it with a rate to be determined by regulation, opening the door for a full exemption or a substantially reduced rate.
“A $50 million aircraft lease previously attracted $5 million in WHT—an amount airlines can now avoid under the new framework,” he illustrated.
The reforms also overhaul the treatment of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the sector. While the temporary VAT suspension introduced after COVID-19 appeared beneficial, it effectively embedded VAT into airline costs because input VAT on assets, consumables and overheads could not be recovered. Under the new laws, airlines become fully VAT-neutral. VAT paid on imported or locally sourced goods and services will be fully claimable, with refunds mandated within 30 days where excess credits arise.
Mr Oyedele said the system is backed by a dedicated tax refund account and allows VAT credits to be offset against other tax liabilities, improving liquidity and reducing cost pressures.
On import duties, the government clarified that existing exemptions on commercial aircraft, engines and spare parts remain intact.
“The new tax laws do not introduce any reversal or additional burden in this area, preserving critical cost relief for airlines that depend heavily on imported equipment,” he said.
He also addressed concerns around ticket prices, noting that the committee is understands that aviation is a low-margin business and that a 7.5 per cent VAT on tickets, within a system of full input VAT recovery, has a much smaller net impact than widely assumed. Even in a worst-case scenario where VAT is not recoverable, the maximum increase would still be limited to the headline 7.5 per cent.
“For example, a N125,000 ticket would rise to no more than N134,375, while a N350,000 ticket would not exceed N376,250,” he said.
The tax titan also noted that further relief is expected from changes to corporate taxation. The new laws provide a framework to reduce corporate income tax from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, a move that would directly benefit airlines.
In addition, several profit-based levies—such as Tertiary Education Tax, NASENI, NITDA and Police levies—have been harmonised into a single Development Levy. This consolidation reduces complexity, lowers the cumulative burden and provides greater certainty for operators.
Addressing complaints about multiple levies and charges on airlines and tickets, the committee clarified that these are not products of the new tax laws. Rather, they are legacy issues that the government is working to resolve through collaboration with industry players and relevant agencies.
Mr Oyedele also maintained that the new tax laws offer a strong legal and policy foundation to resolve long-standing challenges in the aviation sector. By lowering operating costs, improving cash flow and ensuring minimal impact on passengers, the reforms are positioned as a critical part of the solution to the industry’s problems—not the cause.
He stressed that sustained engagement with stakeholders will be key to addressing remaining non-tax issues and ensuring the full benefits of the reforms are realised.
He added that claims not grounded in fact risk undermining progress, noting that the new tax laws are designed to support the long-term viability and growth of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has approved the establishment of a national aircraft leasing company aimed at easing access to modern fleets for domestic airlines and transforming aviation financing in Nigeria.
The minister of aviation and aerospace development, Mr Festus Keyamo, announced the decision after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), describing the move as a significant shift in how Nigerian carriers will acquire and finance aircraft.
Mr Keyamo said the proposed company would operate as a private-sector-driven Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with government backing.
“This initiative is a game-changer for our aviation industry. It eliminates the long-standing challenges Nigerian airlines face in accessing aircraft on competitive terms and positions the country as a hub for aviation financing in Africa,” he said.
According to the minister, the new platform will allow airlines to source aircraft through a centralised system, replacing the current model where operators negotiate individually with international lessors, often at higher costs and stricter terms.
Mr Keyamo noted that the government’s role would be largely supportive, providing sovereign guarantees to boost investor confidence, while private sector players drive the project.
“Through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the government will hold equity and earn revenue without direct financial investment. Our primary obligation is to provide the confidence investors need, especially in ensuring asset security,” he added.
The initiative, he said, has already begun attracting interest from both local and international investors, signalling early confidence in its viability.
Beyond supporting Nigerian carriers, the leasing company is also expected to extend services across West Africa and the broader continent, positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for aircraft leasing.
Airlines in Nigeria have come into focus in recent weeks due to renewed concerns over the financial sustainability of operators, which almost forced them to suspend operations last month. However, the Bola Tinubu-led government approved a 30 per cent relief on debts owed by local airlines to aviation agencies and ordered talks involving fuel marketers, airlines, and regulators to reach a fair jet fuel price.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Air travellers flying through Emirates will enjoy Starlink Wi-Fi onboard after the completion of the installation of the internet service on the company’s flagship A380.
The introduction of Starlink on the A380 builds on Emirates’ ongoing investment into redefining the customer journey, including one of the most ambitious retrofit programmes in aviation history.
The airline operator recently test-run this on a flight to Dubai, and it allowed passengers to enjoy seamless broadband while flying at 40,000 feet.
The Emirates A380 was one of the first commercial aircraft in the world to offer internet to its customers, with first-generation systems offering a total aircraft bandwidth of less than 1 Mbps. The installation and certification were accomplished in Newquay, UK.
With more A380s scheduled for accelerated installation throughout 2026, Emirates customers will soon enjoy a transformative leap in onboard connectivity with the ability to stream, game, browse, and work throughout their journey on personal devices.
The service will be complimentary for all customers, across all cabins, with easy sign-up and access. Future enhancements will include Live TV streaming over Starlink, initially on personal devices and later integrated into seatback screens.
So far, more than 650,000 Emirates customers have already flown on Starlink‑equipped flights, experiencing the benefits of next‑generation onboard connectivity firsthand.
As the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A380 presents unique engineering challenges and opportunities. This industry-first Starlink configuration is designed to meet the demands of the A380’s ‘double-decker’ layout and high passenger capacity and is capable of delivering more than 2 Gbps of total aircraft bandwidth across the cabin.
Compared with the Emirates Boeing 777, the Emirates A380 features additional wireless access points and a third antenna to deliver an enhanced connectivity experience for its higher passenger capacity. Optimised inter‑deck integration supports a seamless Wi‑Fi experience, with customers able to enjoy high speeds depending on usage and device capability.
Starlink installations will soon begin at Emirates Engineering facilities in Dubai to accelerate deployment across the fleet.
Emirates is committed to bringing the best possible connectivity to its entire fleet at the earliest opportunity, with 25 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft already equipped with Starlink and the first A380 now joining service.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian government is capping jet fuel prices and allowing airlines to get supplies on credit as part of efforts to avert flight disruptions caused by soaring fuel costs.
Reuters reported that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said in an internal document that aviation fuel should sell for N1,760 to N1,988 ($1.29 to $1.46) per litre in Lagos and N1,809 to N2,037 in Abuja, based on benchmarks from April 17 to April 23.
The decision follows emergency talks after airlines threatened to go on a strike, warning that jet fuel prices had jumped by more than 300 per cent, forcing fare increases and raising the risk of capacity cuts.
The strike was averted after the federal government met with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and other stakeholders.
President Bola Tinubu last week approved 30 per cent relief on airlines’ debts to aviation agencies and ordered fuel marketers, airlines and regulators to agree on a “fair” fuel price within 72 hours to prevent the sector-wide shutdown that would have impacted the country’s economy.
The talks also agreed to grant airlines a 30-day credit window to pay for fuel and tasked the aviation ministry with mediating debt disputes between operators and oil marketers, according to the document.
The NMDPRA also formed a technical committee, which recommended that fuel marketers sell directly to airlines within the indicated price range to cut costs and improve supply-chain transparency.
The committee also urged regulators to engage Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals over the increased premiums applied to international benchmarks used to price jet fuel.
Other recommendations include validating airside fuel distributors with adequate infrastructure, potentially reducing the number of authorised suppliers at airports, and considering jet fuel for Nigeria’s Crude-for-Naira initiative to limit airlines’ foreign exchange exposure. So far, the Crude-for-Naira has only been for upstream operations.
The cost of fuel has generally risen in the last two months due to the escalating war with Iran by the US and Israel, which has triggered one of the most severe energy shocks in decades. Oil prices are currently above $100 per barrel as markets react to escalating tensions and the risk of prolonged disruption.
At the centre of the crisis is the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supply flows. With shipping constrained, the effects are cascading across the global economy, raising fuel costs, fueling inflation, and increasing the risk of economic slowdown across many economies. This is forcing airlines to raise fares, curb growth plans and rethink forecasts.
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