The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has called for a review of the N11,000 tariff charged per flight, saying the rate is no longer sustainable.
Director-General of the agency, Farouk Umar, stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at a summit organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation. He explained that the charge, fixed since 2008, has remained unchanged despite rising costs of maintaining air navigation infrastructure.
“In 2008, we collected N11,000 per flight. Today, airfares range between N150,000 and N200,000, yet the charge remains the same. This is not sustainable,” Umar said.
He stressed that NAMA is a cost-recovery organisation, not profit-driven, and must recover expenses spent on procuring and upgrading safety equipment.
Airline operators, however, have rejected the proposal, arguing that additional charges will worsen their financial strain and further raise ticket prices for travellers.
Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, represented by his deputy, Festus Akingbaso, urged both sides to work together, assuring that the National Assembly will support reforms if agencies demonstrate transparency.
