Abuja (Nigeria): The Director-General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr Farouk Umar, has called for an upward review of the N11,000 charged airlines per flight.
He made the call on Tuesday at a retreat on “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation; Sustainability, Technology and Digital Transformation”, organised for members of the House Committee on Aviation in Abuja.
Umar said that the fee, which was introduced in 2008, had become unrealistic given prevailing economic realities.
He explained that the charge had remained static despite rising costs of operations and continuous investment in technology.
The NAMA boss explained that the agency operated as a cost-recovery institution and had invested heavily in modern landing systems, such as surveillance and communication facilities, to ensure aviation safety.
“In 2008, NAMA was collecting N11,000 per flight. For instance, from Lagos to Abuja, we charge N11,000 for the entire flight, not per passenger.
“At that time, an economy ticket cost about N16,000. Today, the same ticket is between N150,000 and N200,000, yet we are still collecting N11,000.
“We cannot continue this way; we keep modernising to meet global standards, but we are still being paid peanuts. The airlines know this but prefer to ignore the reality,” he added.
Umar said that several attempts had been made to hold discussions with airline operators, but they had not been forthcoming.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, Rep. Abdullahi Garba, said the retreat was designed to foster collaboration in improving Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Represented by his deputy, Rep. Festus Akingbaso, Garba said the exercise would strengthen participants’ knowledge of airspace management and legislative oversight.
“Our goal is to develop actionable plans and reinforce priorities that enhance aviation safety, infrastructure, and regulatory compliance,” he said.
