The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is pushing for a review of the ₦11,000 fee it charges airlines per flight, insisting that the rate no longer matches today’s economic realities.
Rising Costs, Static Charges
NAMA’s director-general, Farouk Umar, took the case directly to lawmakers in Abuja during a retreat organised for members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.
He explained that the fee, introduced in 2008, has stayed fixed while aviation costs have risen sharply.
“At that time, an economy ticket from Lagos to Abuja cost about ₦16,000.
Today, passengers pay between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000, yet we still charge ₦11,000 per flight, not per passenger,” Umar said.
He emphasised that NAMA continues to modernise its operations, investing heavily in surveillance, landing, and communication systems.
However, the agency struggles to sustain those improvements because the current fee generates insufficient revenue.
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Moreover, Umar noted that airlines have repeatedly rejected NAMA’s proposals to revise the charge.
Lawmakers Seek Stronger Oversight
Meanwhile, the retreat, themed “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation: Sustainability, Technology and Digital Transformation”, gave lawmakers a platform to examine sectoral challenges.
Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba, sent his deputy, Festus Akingbaso, who explained that the exercise aims to strengthen collaboration and improve legislative oversight of airspace management.
Therefore, NAMA’s demand now forces both regulators and legislators to confront a pressing question: how can Nigeria fund aviation safety and global compliance without raising charges that airlines resist?
