FG suspends $300 helicopter landing fee for 2 months

By Nnasom David

Abuja — The Federal Government has ordered a temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of $300 helicopter landing fees imposed on oil and gas operators after concerns were raised by stakeholders in the petroleum industry.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, gave the directive at a meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and representatives of major oil industry groups at the headquarters of the aviation ministry in Abuja on Monday.

According to a statement signed by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the minister, the meeting brought together officials from both the aviation and petroleum sectors to discuss the implementation of the helicopter landing fee prescribed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, for helicopter operations carried out by International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Nigeria.
At the meeting, oil industry representatives expressed concern that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee on helicopter operations servicing oil facilities could disrupt critical operations within the sector.
Following deliberations, Keyamo directed the temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of the helicopter landing fees for an initial period of two months.
The minister also announced that an inter-ministerial committee, comprising representatives from the aviation and petroleum sectors, would be constituted immediately to examine the issues raised and work towards an amicable resolution that would produce an acceptable framework for all stakeholders.
Both ministers reaffirmed the commitment of their respective ministries to continue collaboration in ensuring that regulatory policies supported operational efficiency in the aviation and petroleum sectors, which remain critical pillars of the economy.

The post FG suspends $300 helicopter landing fee for 2 months appeared first on Vanguard News.