Keyamo
By Amah
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Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation, has directed the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to immediately suspend implementation of the recent decision to hike navigational charges by 800%.
Abdullahi Musa, NAMA’s spokesperson, on Monday, announced the minister’s directive in a statement, citing the current economic hardship in the country as reason.
NAMA had on Friday last week announced plans to increase its navigation charges by 800 per cent.
Farouk Umar, the Managing Director of NAMA, while speaking at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents Annual Conference held in Lagos, stressed that the agency relied on statutory charges for managing the airspace, adding that it had proposed the raise in charges to sustain its operations and ensure the safety and efficiency of Nigeria’s airspace.
According to him, the new unit rate/minimum charge for en-route was set to increase to N18,000 from N2,000 per flight while the unit rate/minimum charge for terminal navigation charge for domestic airlines was to rise to N54,000 from N6,000 per flight with effect from September 1, 2024.
This had caused disquiet among stakeholders in the aviation sector.
However, Keyamo has overruled the decision and directed that it should be suspended due to the ongoing grueling economic conditions of the people.
“The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency would continue to engage the airlines, who have been responding to the prevailing economic situation since 2008 without taking NAMA into consideration, which is supposed to be a cost recovery agency in line with global practices,” the statement partly read.
“The directive from the minister and the subsequent suspension of the planned increase underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of Nigerian citizens and stakeholders in the aviation sector.
“The suspension of the fee increase is a testament to the government’s responsiveness to public concerns and its commitment to balancing economic sustainability with the needs of its citizens.”
