FG Halts Enforcement Of $300 Helicopter Landing Fee After Oil Industry Concerns

The minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of the $300 helicopter landing fee for an initial period of two months.

The decision was disclosed on Monday after the aviation minister received the minister of state for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, alongside a delegation from the oil and gas industry at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting was convened at the instance of petroleum industry stakeholders who raised concerns over the enforcement of the helicopter landing fee prescribed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for helicopter operations conducted by International Oil Companies (IOCs).

The fee applies to operations on oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facilities, as well as heliports, helipads, airstrips, and aerodromes used in the course of oil and gas operations.

Following the discussions, the minister also announced that an inter-ministerial committee, comprising representatives from both the aviation and petroleum sectors, will be constituted immediately to examine the issues raised in detail and work towards an amicable resolution that will produce an acceptable framework for all stakeholders.

At the meeting, the minister was joined by the outgoing permanent secretary of the Ministry, Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata; the managing director of NAMA, Engr. Umar Farouk; senior officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); and other key stakeholders in the aviation sector.

Representatives of the oil and gas industry expressed concern that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee, as currently structured, could potentially disrupt critical operations within the sector.

Both ministers reaffirmed the commitment of their respective ministries to continued collaboration to ensure that regulatory policies support operational efficiency in both the aviation and petroleum sectors, which remain critical pillars of the Nigerian economy.

The delegation from the petroleum sector included the chief executive officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, as well as representatives of the International Oil Companies operating in Nigeria, the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).