Airspace authority NAMA suspends planned 800% increase in navigation fees

Engineer Umar Farouk, NAMA boss

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has suspended its planned 800% increase in aircraft navigation fees, which was due to come into effect on September 1, 2024.

This decision was made just a few days after the increase was first announced.

The suspension was announced on Monday via NAMA’s official X-Account (formerly Twitter).

The statement cited the intervention of the Minister of Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as the main factor behind the suspension.

NAMA also stated that further consultations will be carried out to address any concerns related to the proposed increase in navigation fees.

• “Following the intervention of Festus Keyamo, NAMA has suspended the planned increase in navigation fees, which was due to come into effect on September 1 due to the current economic situation. Further consultations will be conducted to address any concerns,” NAMA’s X-contribution was.

The aviation community welcomes this development and hopes for a more balanced approach to navigation charges in the future.

What you should know

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Umar Farouk, initially announced the proposed increase in fees and charges for aircraft navigation by 800% during the 28th edition of the League of Aviation and Airport Correspondents (LAAC) Conference held in Lagos on Friday.

Farouk explained that the proposed increase, which is set to take effect on September 1, 2024, is necessary because the fees have not been reviewed since 2008.

He stressed that the increase takes into account the current economic situation of the country, which has changed considerably over the past 16 years.

Farouk proposed raising en route and terminal navigation fees from N2,000 and N6,000 respectively to N18,000 and N104,000 per flight respectively.

He further disclosed that the extension of service hours from N50,000 to N450,000 per extension would be reviewed to enable the agency to offset the rising cost of diesel and other logistics.

However, the proposed increase met with displeasure among aviation stakeholders, including airline operators and passengers.

They raised serious concerns about the significant increase in operating costs and airfares. Stakeholders feared that such an increase would push up the cost of air travel even further, especially at a time when the economic situation in the country is already difficult for many.

In response to the backlash, NAMA has now suspended the planned increase in aircraft navigation fees. The aviation community views this move as a positive step to balance the operational efficiency of the aviation sector with the economic well-being of air passengers.