By Chidiebere Ugwu
Following the complaint by the Airline operators of Nigeria (AON) and the Hon. Minister’s directive that a committee be set up to look at and review the collection of the Helicopter landing levies and come up with recommendations, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development held a sensitization meeting with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on the report of the Ministerial Committee.
The meeting which took place at the Minister’s Conference room today, 27th August, 2024, had the Director Legal, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Rita Egbadon presiding.
She stated that the meeting was at the instance of the Minister of Aviation to sensitizes AON on the outcome of the committee report that had earlier been submitted.
Mrs Egbadon stated that the report of the committee has been adopted by the Ministry.
Highlighting the report, Egbadon maintained that Helicopter landing Levies are part of global aviation practices which contributes to national economy.
“The Levy to the Federal Government through NAMA is statutory for provision of Air Navigational Services for Helicopter landing by oil companies on oil fields, Terminals, Platform, Riggs, Floating Productive Storage and Offloading (FPSO) on Helipads, Airstrip, and Aerodromes”.
The Director also stated that the committee findings shows that the legal backup for the Levy is in line with NAMA Act of 2022, and the processes of the Levies are also obtainable in countries like; India, United Kingdom, United States and European Union and that the committee was appalled at the level of wastage the country has incurred in the past years.
“The committee discovered that before it’s assignment, oil companies were invoiced by third parties, such as Helicopter operators, this didn’t make for transparency and compliance”.
She said that the committee in her report equally resolved that the invoicing of the Oil Companies directly rather than third parties would go along way to eliminate complaints by stakeholders such as Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and informed AON that companies like; Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) and INTELS have ensured compliance earlier than now.
She concluded by saying that Messrs Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited was and is charged by the Ministry to collect and enforce the Helicopter Landing fees and as such all oil companies on oil fields, Terminals, Platform, Riggs, Floating Productive Storage and Offloading (FPSO) on Helipads, Airstrip, and Aerodromes should comply to the outcome of the report.
Responding, AON noted that it has no role in the collection of the Helicopter Levies and no Levy should be paid to them or their members promising that information that will help the process of compliance will be made available to all concerned.
