NAMA Warns Airlines N11,000 Charge Per N150,000 Flight Fee No Longer Sustainable

The Director General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Umar Farouk, has declared that the N11,000 fee charged by airline operators per flight in Nigeria is no longer sustainable due to current economic conditions.

Farouk made the statement on Tuesday while addressing stakeholders at a summit organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation in Abuja.

The summit, themed “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation: Sustainability, Technology and Digital Transformation,” brought together key aviation players to discuss sectoral developments.

Explaining the fee structure, Farouk said, “In 2008, NAMA was collecting N11,000, and I need to explain this so that the public out there will understand. When I say N11,000, it’s per the whole flight, I’m just giving an example. Like from Lagos to Abuja, we are charging N11,000 for the whole flight. That means, irrespective of the number of passengers there, we are not charging per passenger.”

He further highlighted the discrepancy between historical fees and current ticket prices, noting, “From 2008 to date, you and I know that they are collecting almost N150,000, or it’s hovering between N150,000 and N200,000 economic ticket, and yet we are still where we were, N11,000.”

Farouk emphasized the agency’s investments in modern aviation infrastructure, stating, “Given the fact that we are cost recovery agents, we are supposed to recover from what we have invested. We’ve invested hugely in procuring improved landing systems, surveillance systems, and communication systems, and yet we keep modernising. We keep moving with the technology so that we will not be left behind, and yet you are still paying us peanuts. I think the world needs to know, and the airlines need to face the reality of life. We cannot continue this way.”

He also discussed the agency’s ongoing efforts to engage airlines on the issue. “We have made several attempts to draw the attention of the airlines. There’s a need for us to sit down. It’s been a part of our requirement that we should engage them, discuss with them, and let them see the reason why we must review these charges,” Farouk said.

He added, “The truth of the matter is that the airlines have not been fair to the agency because we are not a charity organisation. We are a cost recovery agency, and yet, they have been responding to economic prevailing circumstances, economic situation, and yet they don’t want to understand that we also go to the same markets. We procure this equipment hugely, and, therefore, there’s what you call cost recovery. Let’s just recover what we have invested in their own services so that safety is not compromised.

Unfortunately, the airlines want to continue paying peanuts while they are charging the right, appropriate fare for their services. But they don’t want to pay the appropriate fees for our charges.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Abdullahi Garba, described the summit as a critical partnership aimed at improving Nigeria’s aviation sector. Represented by the Deputy Chairman, Festus Akingbaso, he said, “Our goal is to develop actionable plans and reinforce priorities that enhance aviation safety, infrastructure and regulatory compliance.”