FG introduces helicopter landing levies

By Innocent Raphael

Federal Government has announced the implementation of helicopter landing levies, in a bid to align with global standards and recover operational costs.

The Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development made the announcement on Monday in a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, the Head of Press and Public Affairs of the ministry, based in Lagos.

Acknowledging the pivotal role of helicopter operations in Nigeria’s aviation sector, the statement emphasized the government’s commitment to embracing international best practices. He cited examples from countries like the US, the UK, and India where such levies are common.

Highlighting specific instances, it mentioned Tallahassee International Airport in Florida, which has been imposing helicopter landing levies since October 1, 2022, under Vector Airport Systems.

The aviation ministry underscored that these levies are prevalent across various airfields in the UK, catering to both major commercial hubs and smaller general aviation fields.

It also disclosed that the organization NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd. has been granted exclusive rights by the federal government to collect these levies, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NAEBI Concept, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Explaining the rationale behind this move, he highlighted the need for a balanced revenue collection approach, especially in the lower airspace dominated by helicopter operations.

The initiative aims to bolster the self-sustainability of NAMA while enhancing security, surveillance, and overall quality of helicopter operations.

The government ministry expressed confidence that these measures would bolster capacity, efficiency, safety, security, and attract more investments into the aviation industry.