Ministry, AON in resolution parley over helicopter landing levy report

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has held a sensitisation meeting with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on the report of the ministerial committee set up to review the collection of helicopter landing levies.

Odutayo Oluseyi, the ministry’s head of press and public affairs, said the committee was mandated to review the exercise and come up with recommendations, following complaints by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

According to Oluseyi, the meeting took place at the Minister’s Conference Room on August 27, 2024 with Rita Egbadon, director, legal, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), presiding.

Egbadon stated that the meeting was at the instance of the minister of aviation to sensitise AON on the outcome of the committee report that had earlier been submitted.

Egbadon said 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 contribute to the national economy.

“The levy to the federal government through NAMA is statutory for provision of air navigation services for helicopter landing by oil companies on oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, floating production 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 its assignment, oil companies were invoiced by third parties, such as helicopter operators, this didn’t make for transparency and compliance,” she noted.

She said that the committee equally resolved in its report that the invoicing of the oil companies directly rather than third parties would go a long way to eliminate complaints by stakeholders including the AON.

She informed AON that companies, including Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), and INTELS have ensured compliance earlier than now.

She concluded by saying that 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, rigs, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) on helipads, airstrip, and aerodromes should comply with 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.