* Godwin Ameh , Finance Department, NCAA flanked by Chief Subair Monday officially cutting the tape to declare DACAA cargo shed at Obi Village Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA),Lagos, yesterday.
…Says Bi-Courtney’s Cargo Charges Exorbitant
The Chairman of Domestic Airports Cargo Agents Association (DACAA), Chief Monday Subair, has appealed to the Federal Government through the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to put the cargo shed at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) also known as terminal one Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos to make the business of cargo agents easier.
He made the appeal in his inaugural speech at the opening of the DACAA cargo shed at Obi Village Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA),Lagos, yesterday.
Subair said that cargo agents have not been recognised by airports authorities as an important department in the aviation industry and that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), did not make things ease for the agents as it took advantage of the fact that the agents operate only from its shed to charge N18.00per kilo of cargo.
This, he said, is too high for the agents most especially now that they are not enjoying any patronage.
Speaking further, he stated that there had not been proper cargo place in all the airports, adding that if properly harnessed would become a huge income generating source for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in particular and the economy in general.
Subair said that DACAA looked forward to partnering with all the relevant authorities, as it takes on the challenges of finding and establishing its niche. The DACAA boss also requested from FAAN to put the association in its plans to build a befitting cargo hall in all the airports across the country.
According to him, “Cargo is an arm of the aviation industry like in other climes .It is a huge source of revenue.”On the lockdown, he said that agents lost over N130 million during the lockdown, adding that people were not patronising cargo agents because airlines were not operating. He hinted that before the COVID-19 lockdown, agents were handling up to 90 tons of cargo but that it fell during the pandemic to 15 tons.
On DACAA’s relationship with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and FAAN, Subair, said that the association is in the good books of NCAA and FAAN being its landlord.
DACAA, he said has about 250 members and also has for General Sales Agents (GSA).
He stated that the focus of his administration would be focused on centred on the implementation of corporate strategy to reposition the association to a higher operational effectiveness and continued relevance in the larger Nigerian society through corporate and individual empowerment
“We shall engage in proactive activities and professional development and discipline. In order to be viable in this era of uncertainty, we need to redefine our relevance in the rapidly evolving market”, he said
