…Oil Companies threaten to suspend operations
Contrary to the Minister of Aviation’s directive that new $300 landing levies be collected from oil and gas companies instead of airlines, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on Thursday prevented helicopter operators providing shuttle service to oil and gas companies from taking off and demanded payment invoices from them.
A statement by NAMA confirming the new order, signed by Abdullahi Musa, the Director, Public Relations and Consumer Protection, clearly stated that oil companies will pay the landing charge.
The statement reads, “According to a ministerial directive on the above subject, Messrs NAEBI Dynamics Concepts Ltd is to immediately resume collection of levies related to air navigation services for helicopter operations by oil companies operations at fields, platforms, terminals, rigs, FPSOs (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading), heliports, helipads and aerodromes in line with its contract.
The statement also asserted, the ministerial directive which specified that Naebi Dynamic Concept Ltd shall strictly invoice oil companies dir, however, excluded helicopters operated by Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) from the scheme, said levies by the consultant.
But yesterday NAMA flouted this rule by stopping helicopter operations with oil and gas personnel being airlifted to the fields in the Niger Delta during take-off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The air traffic controller who interacted with one of the helicopter pilots insisted that he must provide an invoice for the $300 landing fee payment, or it would not be cleared for takeoff.
It was gathered from interaction between terminal manager, air traffic control and pilot of one of the helicopters confirming the request for an invoice before clearance to take off would be granted.
The Manager, you have to see your invoice. We are not doing this on our own. It is the directive that has been given to us. You can reach out our bosses, directors or our MDs. They are the ones that gave us the instructions.”
The pilot then enquired if the terminal manager had received the communique stating that the levies should be collected from oil platforms and not airline operators.
“Sincerely, like I told you, we are acting strictly on instructions. You may wish to direct whatever issues you have to our superior officers,” the manager said.
Meanwhile, there are indication that oil and gas companies have shunned the request of NAEBI Dynamic Concept to pay the $300 landing fee and have threatened that if the company and the Ministry of Aviation continue to press that request, they would suspend operations.
Informed sources revealed that it was what forced NAMA to go against the initial directive of the federal government of not collecting the fees from the airline operators.
Months ago, helicopter companies at protocol collect services to oil and gas exploration and production companies in Nigeria reiterated their determination to resist the insistence of a private firm, NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited, to charge $300 per landing of their aircraft.
In a recent letter by the Airline Operat,ors of Nigeria (AON) responding to the request for audience to update members of the AON on the implementation of the helicopter landing levy under the collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, NAMA and NAEBI, AON stated its position and said, “Since NAEBI is willing to engage the oil companies and invoice them directly for the supposed landing fee, the AON should be entirely left out of such engagements or invoicing processes.
