..Defaulters to face sanctions
By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has said it will sanction defaulters, including denying or withholding flight clearances to any operator that refuses to pay helicopter landing levies within seven days.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the agency said it is notifying all stakeholders, especially oil and gas operators, of the need for full compliance with the prompt payment of helicopter landing levies for air navigation services rendered by the agency within Nigeria’s airspace. These services, it said, cover operations at oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, helipads, airstrips, and aerodromes.
The agency stated that since 2022, NAMA, in partnership with Naebi Dynamic Concepts Limited, has consistently issued multiple written communications to engage oil and gas operators on the statutory provisions of the NAMA Act, but these efforts have not yielded the desired compliance due to the influence of “certain individuals who have worked with them against adherence to established regulatory requirements.”
The agency said that in accordance with the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 of the NAMA Act 2022, it is exclusively empowered by law to provide and manage air navigation services and air traffic control for aircraft take-off and landing at all public and private aerodromes within Nigerian airspace. Therefore, it said that sanctions will be applied to defaulting operators until outstanding charges have been paid by the operator or a guarantee has been given to the satisfaction of the agency for the payment of the charges.
“In instances where operators persist in unauthorised usage of Nigerian airspace, particularly through private helipads or platforms operating without requisite NAMA clearance and in breach of national security protocols, the agency shall seek the approval of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to shut down and relocate such facilities utilized in connection with unauthorised navigational operations within Nigerian airspace in line with Section 8(3) of the Act.
“NAMA calls on all affected oil companies to, within seven days from the date of this publication, formally communicate to Naebi Dynamic Concepts Ltd their proposed payment plans and modalities for applicable air navigation levies. Failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe will trigger appropriate enforcement measures, including the denial of flight clearances for helicopter operations to oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, helipads, airstrips, and aerodromes.
“It is important to emphasise that the enforcement of helicopter landing levies aligns with global best practices and is currently implemented across International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member states in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. These levies are essential to sustaining the maintenance, upgrading, and acquisition of modern air navigation infrastructure, critical for the safe and efficient management of Nigeria’s airspace, particularly given the growing operations of drones, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft,” NAMA said.
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