The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, has called on the Federal Government to rescind the $300 helicopter landing fee imposed on companies offering shuttle services to oil and gas operators, describing it as arbitrary and lacking justification.
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Sanusi made the appeal while addressing journalists in Lagos, stating that the private company demanding the payment, NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited, has not provided any tangible service to warrant such a fee.
The $300 landing charge was approved under the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited was authorized to collect the fee from helicopter operators servicing the oil and gas sector. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) reiterated the directive last month, threatening penalties for non-compliance, though clarifying that the charges are to be borne by oil and gas companies, not Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) members.
Sanusi, however, pushed back, arguing that the fee is not in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) cost recovery framework, which only permits levies when actual investments in infrastructure or services have been made.
“Payment of the $300 fee is not part of ICAO’s charges for cost recovery because you must invest before you can recover cost. And the investment must provide value to the customer,” he said.
He emphasized that NAEBI had made no visible investments in navigational aids, communication systems, or surveillance—known collectively in aviation as CNS nor has it provided any infrastructure to justify the charges.
“If there’s any investment, they should come out and show Nigerians what they’ve done—whether in surveillance, navigation, or communication. You don’t just impose a levy without adding value. And this company isn’t even a government agency that can levy taxes,” Sanusi argued.
He warned that such arbitrary fees set a dangerous precedent for unchecked exploitation of aviation stakeholders under the guise of government-backed contracts.
Sanusi also questioned the rationale behind the reintroduction of the fee, noting that the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development had earlier issued a directive suspending the payment.
“Helicopter companies already pay all required charges to NAMA. So why impose this? Unless the company can show what it adds to helicopter traffic management, this fee should not stand,” he concluded.
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