Trouble is looming in the country’s aviation sector as indications just emerged that helicopter operators are daring to frustrate the Federal Government’s directive to commence paying landing levies to its concessionaire, Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited, the company given exclusive rights to carry out this mandate.
The concession of the landing fees collection was said to not only provide additional revenue to support the aviation sector but also help the government to monitor helicopter activity more closely, improve security and address the issue of unknown helicopters operating in Nigerian airspace.
According to the latest investigations, while some of the operators have threatened to withdraw services, others are exploring legal options to thwart the federal government’s efforts to keep track of helicopter movements within Nigeria’s airspace as Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited’s concession covers monitoring and surveillance of helicopter move.
To perfect their plans, the helicopter operators are said to be planning to drag in the umbrella body of the domestic airlines under the aegis Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to frustrate the efforts of the Concessionaire who was granted the right to carry out the job on behalf of the Federal Government.
Some of the helicopter operators are said to be attempting to initiate discussions with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo in the bid to truncate the concession.
Key players are however calling on the AON and some of its influential members not to allow their reputation and capacity to be dragged into a matter that is set out to frustrate the implementation of a Federal Government directive.
The key players are querying why the operators are so concerned about a levy that is not even theirs to pay and why the helicopter operators are trying to stop the collection of landing levies which are paid in other climes.
A source following the development revealed how the Minister of Aviation preferred that the owner of a dominant carrier does not dabble into the matter.
According to the source, “I can tell you categorically that the helicopter operators are divided; while some have complied and already paying the charge for any operation others are seeking to sabotage the Federal Government initiative by soliciting the intervention of the owners of one of the biggest airlines in the country to arm-twist the minister and mislead the public about the state of affairs in the aviation industry through negative media publicity on this matter.”
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The source wondered why the owner of the Airline that is struggling to hold his Aviation business together would be dragged into this matter when the Helicopter Operators are not the ones to pay this levy since they are merely collection agents.
However, the implementation of the directive of the Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development was said to have multifaceted benefits.
Community reports have indicated that some unidentified helicopters have been sighted conducting air drops in remote locations.
In furtherance of its effort to maintain transparency, accountability and proper documentation in Nigeria’s airspace, the government through its concessionaire intends to establish a comprehensive system to track and document all helicopter movements within the country’s airspace. This initiative aims to address issues around the activities of helicopters operating at low altitudes, where they can evade radar detection.
NAEBI’s mandate is also to collect data to effectively monitor and manage helicopter operations, ensuring that the country’s airspace remains safe and secure for all users.
A recently published directive to Helicopter Operators signed by the Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo said: “It is imperative that all operators and stakeholders fully comply with this mandate, by granting total access to Messrs NAEBI Dynamic Concepts Limited for the collection of this levy, on behalf of the Federal Government, effective immediately.
“Non-compliance with this directive will constitute a breach of this mandate and will be met with appropriate sanctions. The Ministry will enforce compliance without exception and will pursue all available remedies against any party that fails to adhere to this directive. Please note that the Ministry of Aviation will be monitoring compliance with this mandate closely and will take swift action against any violation”, the source added.
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