The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is preparing to resume the collection of the contentious $300 landing levy for helicopter operators. This comes six months after the federal government suspended the fee following protests from aviation stakeholders.
Initially introduced by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the levy was to be collected by NAEBI Dynamic Concept. However, in May 2024, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, ordered its suspension, pending a review by a committee tasked with evaluating its impact.
Speaking at the 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) in Kano on Thursday, NAMA’s Director of Air Traffic Services, Mr. Tayo John, confirmed plans to reinstate the fee.
“In the next few weeks, we will recommence the collection of the $300 landing fee from helicopter operators,” John said. “We started earlier, but the government directed us to suspend it due to certain issues. This time, we are ready to resume.”
The levy will apply to helicopters operating from oil rig platforms and private helipads nationwide.
In his presentation titled Financial Constraints Affecting Nigeria’s Air Navigation Provision: Impact and Mitigation Strategies, John outlined the financial challenges faced by NAMA. He highlighted the significant costs associated with providing air navigation services, maintaining Air Traffic Management (ATM) equipment, and sustaining a trained workforce.
John also noted that the agency’s revenue is heavily constrained by government policies, including the mandatory remittance of 50% of NAMA’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the federal treasury and a 10% contribution to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
“These constraints hinder our ability to modernise equipment, maintain infrastructure, and ensure consistent training for our personnel,” he said, stressing that budgetary limitations, high operational costs, and dependency on foreign exchange further exacerbate the agency’s financial woes.
Another speaker at the AGM, Mr. Ademola Adedayo, presented a paper titled Safety Implications in Fiscal Constraint and Political Interference, warning that financial pressures and external interference could compromise aviation safety.
“Fiscal constraints and political interference pose significant risks to the safety and efficiency of air navigation services,” Adedayo said, calling for sustainable funding mechanisms and policy reforms to address these issues.
The planned reinstatement of the helicopter landing levy is seen as part of NAMA’s broader strategy to alleviate its financial difficulties and ensure the delivery of reliable air navigation services across Nigeria.
