Contrary to the aviation minister’s directive that new $300 landing levies be collected from oil and gas companies, instead of airlines, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) yesterday stopped helicopter operators providing shuttle service to oil and gas companies from taking off, demanding payment invoice from them.
Few years ago, NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited received approval from the federal government under the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to collect $300 helicopter landing fee from oil and gas service providers.
But that was resisted until recently, when the federal government, again, directed same company to commence the collection, but this time from oil and gas companies.
A statement by NAMA confirming the new order and signed by Director, Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Abdullahi Musa, stated clearly that the landing charge will be paid by oil companies.
The statement said, “According to a ministerial directive on the above subject, Messrs NAEBI Dynamics Concepts Ltd is to immediately resume collection of levies related to air navigation services for helicopter operations by oil companies’ operations at fields, platforms, terminals, rigs, FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading), heliports, helipads and aerodromes in line with its contract.”
The statement also asserted that the ministerial directive, which specified that Naebi Dynamic Concept Ltd shall strictly invoice oil companies directly, however excluded helicopters operated by Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) from the said levies by the consultant.
But yesterday NAMA flouted the rule by stopping helicopter operations with oil and gas personnel being airlifted to the fields in the Niger Delta during take-off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The air traffic controller that interacted with one of the helicopter pilots, insisted that he must provide invoice of the $300 landing fee payment or it would not be cleared for take-off.
THISDAY confirmed the request for invoice before clearance to take off from interactions between terminal manager, air traffic control and pilot of one of the helicopters.
The manager said, “We have to see your invoice. We are not doing this on our own. It is the directive that has been given to us. You can reach out to our bosses, directors or our MDs. They are the ones that gave us the instructions.”
The pilot then enquired if the terminal manager had received the communique stating that the levies should be collected from oil platforms and not airline operators.
“Sincerely, like I told you, we are acting strictly on instructions. You may wish to direct whatever issues you have to our superior officers,” the manager said.
Meanwhile, there were indication that oil and gas companies rebuffed the request of NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited to pay the $300 landing fee and threatened that if the company and the Ministry of Aviation continued to press the request, they would suspend operations.
Informed sources revealed that it was what forced NAMA to go against the initial directive by the federal government not to collect the fees from the airline operators.
Months ago, helicopter companies that provided shuttle services to oil and gas exploration and production companies in Nigeria reiterated their determination to resist the insistence of a private firm, NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited, to charge $300 per landing of their aircraft.
AON stated its position in a recent letter responding to a request for audience to update members of AON on the implementation of the helicopter landing levy under a collaboration agreement between the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, NAMA, and NAEBI,
It said, “Since NAEBI is willing to engage the oil companies and invoice them directly for the supposed landing fee, the AON should be entirely left out of such engagements or invoicing processes.
