The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced a temporary, two-month suspension of the controversial $300 helicopter landing fee.
The directive follows intense pressure from stakeholders in the oil and gas sector who raised concerns that the continued enforcement of the levy could disrupt critical energy operations.
The decision was formalized on Monday following a high-level meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Keyamo hosted the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, along with top officials from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and representatives from the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).
During the deliberations, the petroleum sector delegation expressed apprehension regarding the statutory fee, which is prescribed by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for helicopter operations at oil fields, terminals, platforms, rigs, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units, as well as various helipads and airstrips.
Industry leaders argued that the levy collected by a private firm, NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited, posed an unjustified financial burden and operational risk.
Keyamo announced the immediate suspension of enforcement for an initial period of 60 days. During this window, an inter-ministerial committee, comprising representatives from both the aviation and petroleum sectors, will be constituted to deliberate on the concerns and work toward a sustainable, mutually acceptable framework.
The $300 landing fee has been a subject of significant industry debate since its introduction, with critics repeatedly questioning the legal basis for the levy and the involvement of a private consultant in collecting what are ostensibly government revenues.
Aviation stakeholders have previously maintained that the fee lacks clear regulatory backing and does not correspond to verifiable services provided by the collection agency.
Both the aviation and petroleum ministries have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that regulatory policies support operational efficiency, aiming to balance the need for infrastructure funding with the operational realities of the critical oil and gas sector.
