FG suspends helicopter landing fees for oil companies

The Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered a temporary suspension of helicopter landing fees for oil and gas operators following concerns raised by stakeholders in the petroleum industry.

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

A statement signed by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications, said the meeting discussed the implementation of helicopter landing fees prescribed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for helicopter operations servicing oil and gas facilities.

The petroleum sector delegation included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and representatives of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

Officials from the aviation ministry, including outgoing Permanent Secretary Dr Yakubu Adam Kofarmata, NAMA Managing Director Engr Umar Farouk, and senior officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), also participated.

Industry representatives had raised concerns that continued enforcement of the statutory fees could disrupt critical helicopter operations serving oil fields, platforms, FPSOs, helipads, and related facilities.

Following deliberations, Keyamo ordered a two-month temporary suspension of the fees and announced the formation of an inter-ministerial committee from the aviation and petroleum sectors to resolve the issues and develop a mutually acceptable framework.

Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration, stressing that regulatory policies must support operational efficiency in Nigeria’s aviation and petroleum sectors, which remain vital to the nation’s economy.