• Amidst Dwindling Economic Resources Governors Still Burn As Much As $12,600 On Return Flight Charter
Governors who charter aircraft to fly them across the country burn as much as $6, 300 per hour on such trips. But since airlines wont fly freely every single trip costs a state a princely $12, 600 as clients are made to pay for a return as same cost.
Investigations by The UNION show that while domestic flight charter costs $6,300 per hour with even five minutes counted as one hour international charters costs as much as $7,200 per hour.
The UNION investigation also shows that governors who charter aircraft are made to cough out $1000 per hour for
waiting while they pay $3,600 for overnight parking.
Some governors are known to charter aircraft and keep them parked at an airport in their state, or nearby, for hours before embarking on their trip.
Information available to The UNION indicates that standard charter rates are fixed at “Domestic – $6,300 per flight hour; International including Regional – $7,200 per hour; Waiting Charges-$1,000 per hour; Overnight Stay Charges- $3,600 per overnight and boarding and lodging charges for crew; Immigration Charges -minimum charges $1,000. “(For international trip only)”.
According to The UNION findings the above charges are exclusive what airline owners term “other services”.
Explaining details of the charges our aviation source stated that “Rates are charged on hourly basis”, adding that “any fraction of hour is considered as a full hour for billing purposes”. He said, “if flight time or waiting hours is say 1Hr 15Mins, it is considered as two hours for billing purposes”.
The source also stated that “if trip is only drop, still client will be charged for the return trip to base station as well. If the flight goes from Lagos to Abuja for which the flight timings are one hour and if it is a drop, the trip charges will be $12,600 that is $6,300 per hour for two hours, including other taxes”. Implication of the charter charges indicate that a governor spends an average of about N2.5 million on aircraft charter to travel to Abuja and back from Lagos, or any other location in Nigeria.
Specifically, our source said, “They are charged only flight charges at agreed rate, waiting charges, overnight stay, immigration charges (for oversea trips) and other taxes and levies.
“After receiving charter request, he is issued a quote based upon standard rates. Charter quote also incorporates terms and conditions including charges for the charter. The charter quote is an estimate only of flight time, waiting hours, overnights, other charges. Once the trip has been completed the actual time shall be calculated against the hourly rate, waiting hours, overnights and other charges, as well as, taxes and any other charges accrued by trip”, our sources stated.
Meanwhile, governors who cancel a charter on the day of departure, The UNION learnt, are made to forfeit 100 percent of the charter fee as cancellation fee, while those who cancel a charter two days prior to departure forfeit 50 percent of the charter cost.
-The Union
