‘Standard practice in US, UK’ — FG defends helicopter landing levy

The ministry of aviation and Aerospace Development says the introduction of helicopter landing levies is to sustain surveillance and is in line with global best practices.

On April 26, the federal government granted exclusive rights to Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited, an aviation consulting firm, to collect helicopter landing levies across the country.

In a statement on Monday, Odutayo Oluseyi, head, press and public affairs of the ministry, said the federal government acknowledges the importance of helicopter operations in Nigeria’s aviation industry.

Oluseyi said the collection of helicopter landing levies is standard practice in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and several other countries worldwide.

He said the Tallahassee International Airport in Florida began implementing helicopter landing levies “under vector airport systems, since October 1, 2022”.

Oluseyi added that helicopter landing levies were common across airfields in the United Kingdom — ranging from major commercial ones to small general aviation fields.

He said depending on the location and services rendered, helicopter levies usually equal or surpass those for fixed-wing aircraft.

“The Federal Government has granted NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd., exclusive rights to collect helicopter landing levies in line with the MoU between NAEBI Concept and NAMA (focal Agency), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),” Oluseyi said.

“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.

“However, over the years, NAMA has predominantly relied on the upper airspace for her revenue generation.”

Oluseyi said the government wisely identified a gap in the lower airspace where helicopter activities are predominant and instructed NAMA to fulfil its obligations to generate sufficient resources.

He said the collection of the levies is to “sustain their aeronautical architecture, enhance security and surveillance and improve the overall quality of helicopter operations in Nigeria”. 

According to the spokesperson, the ministry is confident that the move will improve capacity, efficiency, safety, and security and attract more investment in the aviation industry.

Oluseyi urged all parties to be committed to initiative and embrace the new normal, which has followed due processes and protocols.