The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has warned oil and gas companies
over their ongoing failure to pay the $300 helicopter landing fees. The agency threatened
sanctions such as denial of flight clearances and possible shutdown of facilities that fail to
comply.
NAMA, in line with its legal mandate, reminded operators in the sector of their obligation to
promptly pay helicopter landing levies for air navigation services. These services cover
operations across oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, floating production storage and
offloading units (FPSOs), helipads, airstrips, and aerodromes within Nigerian airspace.
In a notice issued on Tuesday, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) stated
that it has been working with Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited since 2022 to enforce
compliance with the NAMA Act of 2022.
However, the agency noted that despite numerous written correspondences, overall
compliance remains poor. It attributed the situation to the actions of certain individuals within
the industry who have deliberately resisted adherence to regulatory guidelines.
The agency withheld the identities of the defaulting oil firms and the individuals allegedly
encouraging non-compliance with its regulations.
“Since 2022, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, in collaboration with Naebi
Dynamic Concepts Limited, has issued several written communications to engage oil and
gas operators on their statutory obligations under the NAMA Act. Sadly, these efforts have
not achieved the intended compliance, due to the influence of certain individuals who have
worked alongside the operators to resist adherence to established regulatory standards,” the
statement noted.
NAMA highlighted that the collection of helicopter landing levies is consistent with global
aviation practices and is standard procedure in other ICAO member countries across
Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
“These levies are crucial for funding the maintenance, upgrades, and acquisition of modern
air navigation infrastructure, which is essential for the safe and efficient oversight of Nigeria’s
airspace especially with the rising activity of drones, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft,” the
agency stated.
NAMA further asserted that it holds the exclusive mandate to provide and manage all air
navigation and air traffic control services throughout Nigerian airspace, including at both
public and private aerodromes. It referenced Sections 8 and 9 of the NAMA Act, which
explicitly bar any individual or organisation other than NAMA from delivering such services.
The agency cautioned that it would enforce penalties against defaulting operators, including
the refusal or suspension of flight clearances until all outstanding fees are paid or an
acceptable security or guarantee is provided.
For more serious violations such as operating from unapproved helipads or platforms without
NAMA’s authorisation it stated that it would request ministerial approval to either shut down
or relocate such facilities, in accordance with the provisions of Section 8(3) of the NAMA Act.
