By Samaila Emmanuel Bzugu
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has announced plans to recommence the collection of the $300 landing fee on helicopter operators in the country. This decision comes six months after the federal government suspended the levy due to protests from airline operators.
The collection of the fee will help ease the agency’s current financial burden
According to Tayo John, Director of Air Traffic Services, NAMA, the collection of the fee will help ease the agency’s current financial burden. John stated that the Federal Government had initially directed NAMA to drop the fee, but the agency is now putting in place modalities to recommence its collection.
The $300 landing fee will be collected from helicopters taking off and landing from oil rig platforms and private helipads across the country. Although John did not specify when the collection would resume, he hinted that it would be in the next few weeks.
NAMA faces significant financial constraints, including budgetary limitations, revenue collection issues, and high operational costs. The agency also pays 50% of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) into the federal purse and 10% of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) remittance to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
These financial constraints limit NAMA’s capacity to provide safe, reliable, and efficient air navigation services
These financial constraints limit NAMA’s capacity to provide safe, reliable, and efficient air navigation services. The agency’s inability to modernize equipment, maintain infrastructure, and ensure consistent training for personnel also poses safety risks.
