May 19, (THEWILL) – In response to the newly imposed helicopter landing charges by the Federal Government, operators have threatened an industrial action as their reaction to the new development.
THEWILL gathered that if the helicopter operators make good their promise, Nigeria may lose over 1.1 million barrels of oil per day (mbd).
Few weeks ago, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, through a memo, directed helicopter operators to compulsorily pay helicopter landing fees at all Nigerian aerodromes, helipads, airstrips, floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units, floating storage and offloading (FSO) units and other oil platforms.
The Aviation Minister in a recent TV interview, explained that he inherited the process and approved it because it would generate more revenue to the Federal Government.
In addition, Keyamo has also continued to canvass and justify the Ministry’s its reason for introducing a $300 landing fee on helicopter operators, saying it is a cost recovery measure that aligns with international best practices
Explaining how the process would work, Keyamo, who disclosed that the fees will be collected and administered by a private company, NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited, said “The company will put the infrastructure in place, employ personnel and remit to the Federal Government. So, everything will be going to the Federation Account and the company will get their cut.”
Nothwithstanding the plea and explanations, helicopter operators have insisted to resist the payment and threatened to ground their operations if the Federal Government insists that they must pay the landing fees.
Stakeholders have also warned that with the over 95 per cent involvement of the oil and gas in the helicopter business, any strike by operators will adversely affect the sector as Nigerian crude output may drop to 300 bpd from the current 1.3 million per day.
Also, in the recently published Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) approved heliport certification list, oil production helidecks constitute over ninety percent of the 105 listed on the document dated April 2024.
The Managing Director and CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, had predicted that the operators may likely shut down their operations or go to court.
He said that there is no basis for the landing charge because the operators pay for services rendered to them and the helipads where helicopters land and take off in offshore operations and elsewhere are owned by international oil companies and therefore, not property of the Federal Government, adding that the operators pay their due charges to aviation agencies.
“I don’t think it is a good thing to do because the International Civil Aviation Organisaton (ICAO) recommended that service providers in the aviation industry, which are government agencies, should engage in cost recovery, but unfortunately government has turned the agencies to profit making organisations in the aviation industry”, he said.
Sanusi posited that in terms of security and knowing all the helipads in Nigeria, such is a duty of National Security Adviser (NSA), the Air Force and related security agencies, insisting it has nothing to do with civil aviation.The operators said there is nothing bad in the Minister trying to increase revenue for government but noted that there are some “untruthful assumptions that we need to bring to his attention.”
“First the assumption that helicopters are not regulated is not correct. In fact, helicopter operations are fully regulated as any other aircraft operations in Nigeria. There are three basic parastatals that form the basis with which helicopters are operated in Nigeria with financial returns rigidly and religiously remitted to our nation’s coffers – Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), he added.
Other operators equally pointed out that whenever a helicopter lands in any airport in Nigeria, FAAN staff or FAAN appointed agents, without fail, “are always on ground to collect landing fees from the helicopter.
They also stated that whenever a helicopter lands in any airport in Nigeria, FAAN staff or FAAN appointed agents, without fail, “are always on ground to collect landing fees from the helicopter.”
According to them, there is a statutory fee attached to every application made to NCAA that every helicopter operator, just like every other aircraft operators in Nigeria, pays.
They, therefore, see this act as sabotage against Federal Government’s current drive to increase the volume of crude oil that is produced in the country.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
