NAMA
PicNews
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is pushing for an upward review of the N11,000 fee it charges airlines per flight, describing the current charge as outdated and unsustainable given the prevailing economic realities. Introduced in 2008, the fee hasn’t kept pace with the rising costs of aviation operations, inflation, and technological investments.
NAMA’s Director-General, Farouk Umar, emphasized that the agency operates as a cost-recovery institution, not a charity, and has invested heavily in modernizing aviation infrastructure, including advanced landing systems, communication equipment, and surveillance technology. Despite these investments, the agency has been unable to adjust its fees accordingly, while airlines have adjusted ticket fares to reflect changing market conditions.
For instance, a Lagos-to-Abuja flight costs airlines only N11,000, regardless of the number of passengers carried, which can range from 50 to 200 passengers. Meanwhile, economy ticket prices have skyrocketed from N16,000 in 2008 to between N150,000 and N200,000 today. Umar stressed that NAMA’s charges are not designed for profit-making but strictly for cost recovery to ensure safe, reliable, and modern air navigation services.
NAMA has made repeated efforts to consult with airlines on the need to review the charges, but operators have resisted the idea, arguing that increasing regulatory charges could worsen their financial situation, given rising fuel costs, foreign exchange shortages, and multiple taxes. However, Umar believes this resistance is unfair, especially as airlines frequently increase ticket fares to reflect rising operational costs.
The aviation sector faces a unique dilemma, with airlines struggling with high operational costs while regulators face shrinking budgets to maintain critical infrastructure. Unlike in many advanced economies, Nigeria’s airspace management agency charges have remained stagnant for 16 years. Umar warned that the cost of procuring, installing, and maintaining facilities has grown exponentially due to inflation, exchange rate pressures, and global supply chain disruptions, putting safety at risk if costs cannot be recovered .
