Photo caption : From left: Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Mr. Michael Achhimugu; Chairman of the Occasion, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, CITA Aviation Fueling Company Limited, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe; Keynote Speaker, Managing Director/ CEO Nigeria Airspace Management Authority, ENGR. Umar Farouk; Special Guest of Honour, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo and Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NiMet, Mrs. Funke Adebayo Arowojobe, during the 28th Edition of LAAC Annual Conference themed “Aviation Survivability Amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment”in Lagos
…To Take Effect September 1
…Says Agency Invested Heavily On Training Of Personnel
As part of efforts to ensure that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) breath, survive, and continue to guarantee safety and efficiency in the airspace considering the present harsh economic environment, its management has proposed to increase its fees and charges by 800 per cent.
The Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Farouk Ahmed Umar dropped this hint while speaking at the 28ty annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) with the theme, ‘Aviation Survivability amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment’ in Lagos.
Umar stated that in 2023, NAMA had an expenditure of about N21 billion in personnel costs alone, spent over N12 billion in capital costs and over N10 billion in overhead costs, adding that all these were to be funded from fees and charges without Federal Government budgetary allocation.
NAMA, he said has been charging as low N11,000 per flight when a one-way domestic ticket cost only N16,000, adding that while ticket prices today have gone up astronomically to as high as between N150,000 to N200,000 for a one-way economy ticket owing to the prevailing economic circumstances, NAMA’s navigational charges, he said have remained the same since June 2008.
The NAMA boss stated that that NAMA also charges N50,000 for every hour that it has extended services beyond the stipulated hours of service at aerodromes that do not have 24 hours service.
Speaking further, Umar pointed out that in 2008 a litre of diesel was sold for about N113, but that today it is well over N1,400 per litre which represents over 1,000 per cent increase which according to him makes the current charges unsustainable and that same goes with personnel costs and other costs.
According to him, “Currently, our unit rate for international flights charged for service provision is about $70, domestic flights are charged N6,000. While, NAMA recognises the difficult economic environment aviation operates in Nigeria, it is equally a part of the ecosystem. It goes to the same market to procure equipment and other services like training. If NAMA is to survive and continue to guarantee safety and efficiency in the airspace, it must breathe.”
Photo caption : From left: Engr. Eyitayo Yusuf, Ag. Chief Operation Officer, Bicourtney Aviation Services Limited, Mr. Remi Jiboodu; Former Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, Chairman AGHAN, Mr. Olaniyi Adigun; Chairman Leagueof Airport Aviation Correspondents (LAAC), Mr. Suliman Idris; Special Guest of Honour, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo; Group Managing Director, Finchhgloow, Mr. Bankole Bernard, Chairman of the Ocassion, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, CITA AviationFueling Company Limited, Dr. Thomas Ogungbangbe and Keynote Speaker, Managing Director/ CEO Nigeria Airspace Management Authority, ENGR. Umar Farouk, during the 28th Edition of LAAC Annual Conference on the Aviation Survivability Amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment in Lagos.
He contended that it is in the light of this, and in the spirit of this conference’s theme of survivability that NAMA announced the review of its fees and charges.
The NAMA Managing Director posited that even though most costs in the economy have increased by more than 1,000 per cent NAMA has proposed to increase its fees and charges by 800 per cent.
According to him, “The new unit rate/minimum charge for en-route is N18,000 from N2,000 per flight while the new unit rate/minimum charge for terminal navigation charge (TCN domestic) is N54,000 from N6,000 per flight with effect from the 1st of September, 2024.”
“Also, the extension of hours of service is also to be reviewed from N50,000 to N450,000 per extension to enable the agency recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period of extension,” he said.
NAMA, he said, has invested heavily in training programmes to equip its personnel with the latest skills and knowledge, adding that the agency’s training initiatives have ensured that its workforce remains proficient and adaptable to technological advancements.
In his words, “We have strengthened our relationships with airlines, regulatory bodies, and international partners. Collaborative efforts have led to improved air traffic management and better service delivery.”
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