Travel News

BY Monica Pitrelli

Key Points

BY  Olasunkanmi Akinlotan

The Nigeria Customs Service has again bowed to pressure from indebted private jet owners who have failed to pay their duty to the government coffers, as it gave the debtors one more month to clear the debts.

The service disclosed this on Thursday through its spokesperson, Maiwadah Abdullahi, saying the decision was based on further consultation.

There are reports that duties are not being paid on the majority of private jets currently in the country, with the NCS seeking to recover unpaid import duties running into several billions of naira.

Following this development, the service at different times had threatened to clamp down on the defaulting private jet owners.

In 2024, Customs asked private jet owners to proceed with a verification exercise with the government. The exercise was to determine defaulters in the payment of import duty.

Recall that on October 14, 2024, The PUNCH reported that the Federal Government, through the NCS, had planned to ground over 60 private jets owned by very important persons in the country over unpaid import duty beginning from that day.

This was not implemented as the NCS later that same day announced the extension of the verification exercise for private jet owners by one month, from October 14, 2024, to November 14, 2024.

After multiple attempts to ground the affected private jets failed, the agency finally grounded over 60 private jets over their refusal to pay customs duty, an operation that lasted between Monday and Wednesday.

Following the enforcement, private jet hangars in Lagos and Abuja airports were reportedly sealed up. However, owners of the aircraft, including bank chiefs and multinational oil companies among other individuals, began to lobby the Presidency to secure the release of their jets.

Some of the grounded luxury aircraft include Bombardier BD-700 Global 6000, BD-700 Global 6500, and BD-700 Global 7500, among others. Officials of the NCS and those in the aviation sector confirmed this in separate interviews on Wednesday.

However, on Thursday, Maiwada announced the suspension of the enforcement exercise, adding that the service would again be giving a one-month window to the defaulting private jet owners.

He said, “We decided to ground aircraft, but we have done some consultations and we have a mutual understanding to suspend the action for another month so that others will come forward to comply. We know they really want to comply, it is just about regularisation and payment of customs duty.”

Meanwhile, speaking with an industry expert, Capt Muhammed Badamosi, advised the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority to remind the owners of the jets of the requirement that qualifies them to stay and operate in Nigeria.

He said, “However, the NCAA is a different body responsible for compliance with the regulations of the aviation ministry, and the NCS is another body responsible for tax collection. The NCAA can’t control the standard operating procedure for customs services.

“Since the NCAA is the first respondent to foreign-registered aircraft, they should remind them of other requirements like the Customs duty, which is independent of the regulations of the aviation regulator. If this is done from the beginning of the application process, we will not be where we are on Customs duty today. Let’s learn to do things right the first time.”

N'DJAMENA, June 5 (Reuters) - Chad suspended visa issuance to U.S. citizens on Thursday after its nationals were included in a U.S. travel ban targeting 12 countries, President Idriss Deby said in a Facebook post.

"I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens," Deby said.

"Chad has no planes to offer, no billions of dollars to give but Chad has its dignity and pride," Deby added, making reference to Qatar's gift of a $400 million airplane to U.S. President Donald Trump.

By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is considering significantly expanding its travel restrictions by potentially banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, the Republican president signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, saying the move was needed to protect the United States against "foreign terrorists" and other national security threats.

The directive was part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term, which has included the deportation to El Salvador of hundreds of Venezuelans suspected of being gang members, as well as efforts to deny enrollments of some foreign students from U.S. universities and deport others.

In an internal diplomatic cable signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and sought corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said.

BY Wesley Rahn (with AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Spanish investigators on Tuesday released a report showing that a power surge caused an hours-long blackout on the Iberian peninsula in late April.

By Ogaga Ariemu

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced a ban on cash transactions and plans to hike tariffs nationwide. The Director of Commercial and Business Development, FAAN, Adebola Agunbiade, disclosed this on Monday while speaking during an event in Lagos.

FAAN noted that 92 percent of its current revenue comes from aeronautical sources while only 8 percent is derived from non-aeronautical activities, a stark contrast to global standards, where non-aeronautical revenue accounts for over 40 percent in many developed countries.

According to the government agency, the move marks a critical step in modernising its operations and rebalancing its revenue structure.

“We have to find the means to review our tariff in such a way that it’s not too much on you but it’s also helping us to pay our bills.”

She stressed that FAAN would notify service providers early enough before implementing the tariff increase.

“We have done it already; we will be putting out notices on it, but please rest assured that we will not be getting a review on a tariff that probably has been done too recently.

“But we are reviewing our tariff, and we will also ensure that we notify you early enough so that you, as businesses, can plan towards it,” she said.

On her part, FAAN’s Managing Director and CEO, Olubunmi Kuku, lamented the numbers of calls and enquiries from service providers on payment renewals and applications.

“Automation makes it easier for you to track your payment. We’re going cashless and contactless in payments,” she stated.

By Gilbert Ekugbe

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has announced plans to increase tariffs for all service providers operating at its airports as part of efforts to improve revenue generation.

Additionally, the authority will phase out all cash transactions at payment points, moving toward a fully automated and contactless payment system.

FAAN disclosed that 92 per cent of its current revenue comes from aeronautical sources, while only eight per cent is derived from non-aeronautical activities—a stark contrast to global standards where non-aeronautical revenue accounts for over 40 per cent in many developed countries.

This shift, the agency said, marks a critical step in modernising its operations and rebalancing its revenue structure.

Speaking during the Directorate of Commercial and Development Stakeholders Engagement Forum on Monday in Lagos, the Director, Commercial and Business Development, FAAN, Adebola Agunbiade, said, “We have to find the means to review our tariff in such a way that it’s not too much on you but it’s also helping us to pay our bills.”

She assured all that FAAN would notify service providers early enough before implementing the tariff increase.

“We have done it already, we will be putting out notices on it, but please rest assured that we will not be getting a review on a tariff that probably has been done too recently. But we are reviewing our tariff, and we will also ensure that we notify you early enough so that you, as businesses, can plan towards it,” she said.

Agunbiade emphasised the importance of lease agreement restructuring, stating, “We’ve had a lot of issues around this, and I think it’s mostly because most times when we give out these agreements, people don’t read them to see what the terms are.”

She said FAAN has worked on the agreements with its legal team and has done a thorough review of the agreements.

“We’ve come up with different terms. So, if anyone is coming for a renewal or an application, you will see that some of the terms in the agreements have changed. And this will also, we try our best to ensure that you will find it doable in terms of. And they work,” Agunbiade said.

The FAAN official also mentioned that FAAN would transition to an automated and contactless payment system, stating, “All payments will soon be made online using our cards. It is an airport card. You tap and go. It is a very seamless and straightforward process that will ease the business and payment structure for all our payment systems.

“We have above-the-line and below-the-line revenue-generating platforms. Last year, we realised N2 billion from below-the-line platforms alone. It is a big opportunity for investors, and people can leverage on this,” Agunbiade disclosed.

She also said that FAAN is investing in reward systems for its staff. FAAN’s Managing Director and CEO, Olubunmi Kuku, expressed concerns over the number of calls and inquiries from service providers on payment renewals and applications.

She highlighted the importance of automation, stating, “Automation makes it easier for you to track your payment. We’re going cashless and contactless payment. So it is easier and faster. People can use these cards for payment points across our terminals.

“We have started the pilots in Lagos, we’re going to be rolling this out across other airports, and of course across all of our different lines. There are a lot of investments that have gone into our infrastructure upgrades and automation, specifically.

“We will be using ECR devices for all of the payments at the terminals. We’re also upgrading some of our parking and automating the tollgate facilities as well. All in a bid to make sure that there’s visibility, there’s transparency, and of course accountability for the funds that we earn for our passengers to understand that it’s going right back into the businesses.”

Kuku also warned that FAAN would revoke the licences of car hire service providers and Bureau de Change operators who hide under their duties at the airport to engage in touting activities.

She spoke on efforts to decongest the Lagos airport access roads by removing the tankers parked on the roads.

“This is not the scene I want to see. We have received orders to take out those tankers. We will be taking drastic measures. We cannot just have businesses on the side of the road in a manner that is not organised. We will be taking very drastic actions.

“A lot of the tankers there do not operate in our environment. They will have to go. They are a security risk, and the scene is obnoxious for an airport environment,” Kuku said.

Story by Amelia Neath

An Indonesian airline suspended the entire cabin crew from a flight after a passenger’s lost phone was allegedly traced back to the hotel airline staff were staying in.

The incident occurred during a Garuda Indonesia flight GA716 from Jakarta to Melbourne on 6 June, when passenger Michael Tjendara claimed his phone had been stolen.

Mr Tjendara said he had placed his device in the backseat pocket before moving seats after takeoff, only to return to his old seat to find his phone gone.

The passenger explained the theft in Instagram posts that now appear to have been removed, with a series of screenshots of Find My iPhone, an Apple feature that allows people to track where their devices are.

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