NIGERIA’s Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has said the newly introduced $300 helicopter landing levies were in line with global best practices and cost recovery measures.
The ministry took the stand in a statement on Monday, May 13 by its head of press and public affairs in Lagos, Odutayo Oluseyi.
It insisted that the levies were in tandem with global best practices as seen in the U.S., the United Kingdom, India and other countries.
The ICIR reports that the decision comes against the backdrop of helicopter operators’ refusal to comply, questioning the rationale behind the imposition of the new levy.
The operators had said the new charge amounted to multiple taxations, threatening to cease operations and seek legal action.
In the statement on Monday, Oluseyi noted that the Nigerian government had granted NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited the exclusive rights to collect helicopter landing levies.
He said this was in line with the memorandum of understanding between NAEBI Concept and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“It is instructive to note that NAMA, under the Act as amended in 2022, is empowered to collect aeronautical revenues in both the upper and lower airspace to support her self-sustainability,” he said.
According to Oluseyi, NAMA has, over the years, relied on the upper airspace for its revenue generation.
“Government in her wisdom, having discovered a lacuna on the lower airspace where helicopter operations are dominant, directed NAMA to live up to its responsibilities, to enable them to generate enough resources; to sustain their aeronautical architecture, enhance security and surveillance and improve the overall quality of helicopter operations in Nigeria,” he said.
Oluseyi said the ministry was confident that the initiative would improve capacity, efficiency, safety, and security and attract more investment in the aviation industry.
“We encourage all stakeholders to be committed to this laudable initiative, that has followed due processes and procedures and should embrace the new normal.”
The government had granted NAEBI Dynamic Concepts the exclusive rights to collect helicopter landing levies for federal agencies, according to a statement earlier issued by the minister, Festus Keyamo.
All operators and stakeholders in the industry are to comply with the mandate, Keyamo had said. “Non-compliance with this directive will constitute a breach of this mandate and will be met with appropriate sanction.”
He warned that the ministry would enforce compliance without exception and would pursue all available remedies against any party that fails to adhere to the directive.