FG Suspends Helicopter Landing Levy for Two Months after Quietly Reintroducing It in 2025

The federal government has suspended the enforcement of helicopter landing fees for two months, according to Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the minister of aviation.

The decision followed a meeting on Monday in Abuja between Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development and stakeholders in the petroleum industry led by Heineken Lokpobiri, minister of state for petroleum resources (oil).

In May 2024, the ministry of aviation and aerospace development announced that the helicopter landing levy was temporarily suspended after pushback from stakeholders — one month after approval of the levy.

Speaking to TheCable on Tuesday, Moshood confirmed that the levy was reintroduced last year, adding that it was not made public.

In a statement Moshood said the meeting was convened at the request of the petroleum industry stakeholders who raised concerns over the enforcement of helicopter landing fees prescribed by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for operations conducted by international oil companies.

“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,” he said.

“The oil industry representatives expressed concern that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee, as currently structured, could potentially disrupt critical operations within the sector.

“Following extensive deliberations between both parties, the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development directed the temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of the helicopter landing fees for an initial period of two months.”

INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE TO BE CONSTITUTED 

He said Keyamo also announced that an inter-ministerial committee involving representatives from the aviation and petroleum sectors would be constituted to examine the issues raised and work towards an agreed framework for all stakeholders.

Moshood said both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration between their ministries to ensure regulatory policies support operational efficiency in the aviation and petroleum sectors.

The delegation from the petroleum sector included representatives of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), international oil companies (IOCs), the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

Officials of the aviation ministry at the meeting were Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, outgoing permanent secretary of the ministry, and Umar Farouk, managing director of the NAMA, alongside senior officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).