Helicopter Operators Reject $300 Landing Fee Newly Imposed By Tinubu Government

Some helicopter operators have told the Nigerian minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, to suspend the newly imposed $300 landing fees charges.

 

The airlines operators also added that a meeting had been scheduled with Keyamo who is away in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

The Aviation Ministry had mandated helicopter operators to pay a newly introduced $300 landing charge, which will be collected by NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited on behalf of the Nigerian government.

 

However, this directive has raised concerns among the operators, who oppose the new charges.

 

The operators also raised allegations of fraudulent practices, questioning the legality of making payments to a private company’s account instead of the FG’s Treasury Single Account.

 

Speaking to The PUNCH, an operator anonymously stated, “We said NAMA cannot collect any payments because they do not own any facility, and if we assume that they own a facility, why should the payments be made to NAEBI’s account? It is fraud.

 

“The money should be paid into the Federal Government’s account while the federal government pays its agents as they claim. It is illegal and fraudulent to pay into a private account when there is a Treasury Single Account.”

 

Also in an interview with PUNCH, a former Managing Director of NAMA, Roland Iyayi, said, “These operators are scheduled to have a meeting with the minister, but he’s in Riyadh now. The plan is that they are not going to pay. The petroleum unions are threatening to go on strike.

 

“They have written a letter to the minister, but he went to Riyadh, I think he just got back yesterday (Thursday), but all the helicopter operators are coming in next week. If he is available next week, they will meet with him.”

 

 

In their letter, the AON requested that the introduction of the $300 landing levy be suspended until they could discuss the issue with the minister and demonstrate why the fee should not be implemented.