The Federal Government is being asked to reverse its decision over the attempt to collect a $300 helicopter landing charge from businesses that offer shuttle services to Nigerian oil and gas firms.
In an interview with aviation journalists in Lagos, Capt. Ado Sanusi, the CEO of Aero Contractors, who made the call, added that there was no regulatory basis for the price.
Additionally, Sanusi maintained that the business requesting the charge, NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Ltd., had not rendered any services that would have justified reimbursement for costs.
He stated that the business may have argued for payment if it had offered any infrastructure, such as improving communications or any other type of service, but that the business did not offer any services.
The $300 price was not included in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) cost recovery charges, according to Sanusi, who asserted that a business or government must first invest in valuable infrastructure or equipment for clients before requesting recovery expenses.
Read Also: ANAP to Keyamo: Push for Immediate Appointment of Aviation Boards
He stated: “For example, if I am investing in radios or navigational aids, I will inform the clients that I am doing so and that I hope to recover my investment over a five-year period. However, there is no investment in this one.
“If they or the business claim to have made an investment, they ought to show Nigerians the money they have invested in communication, navigation, or monitoring.
“However, you simply imposed a levy without making any investments, and you are not a government agency to declare that you wish to impose taxes on individuals.”
According to Sanusi, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development ordered the oil business to pay the charge, but the corporation refused, claiming the levy had no justification.
According to Sanusi, helicopter operators also pay the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for landing, navigation, and terminal fees, among many other fees to the appropriate government organizations.
Sanusi questioned why NAMA and the ministry were demanding that the fee be paid.
Oil and gas businesses working in the Fields, Terminals, Platforms, Rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, helipads, airstrips, and aerodromes were given a seven-day ultimatum by NAMA in June to start paying the fees.
NAMA stated that the fee was consistent with international best practices as well as the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) standard and advised practice.
Additionally, it stated that ICAO member states in the Americas, Asia, and Europe were presently collecting the tax.
Nearly a month after the ultimatum’s expiration, the oil and gas corporations disregarded NAMA’s warning that there was no turning back from the levy collection.
These levies, according to NAMA, were necessary to continue maintaining, modernizing, and acquiring air navigation infrastructure, which is crucial for the safe and effective management of Nigeria’s airspace, especially in light of the expanding use of fixed-wing aircraft, drones, and helicopters.
Over the previous four years, there has been constant squabbling between the government, oil firms, and helicopter operators.
