NAMA DG SAYS N11,000 FLIGHT CHARGE NO LONGER SUSTAINABLE, CALLS FOR REVIEW

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Director General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Umar Farouk, has declared that the ₦11,000 fee charged airline operators per flight since 2008 is no longer sustainable under current economic conditions.

Farouk made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing stakeholders at a summit organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation with the theme, “Emerging Trends in Global Aviation: Sustainability, Technology and Digital Transformation.”

Explaining the situation, he said the charge applies per flight, not per passenger. “Like from Lagos to Abuja, we are charging ₦11,000 for the whole flight, irrespective of the number of passengers. Meanwhile, airlines are collecting between ₦150,000 and ₦200,000 per ticket, yet we are still where we were in 2008,” he said.

The NAMA boss stressed that the agency, being a cost-recovery organisation, has invested massively in modern landing, surveillance, and communication systems, but continues to operate on outdated revenue rates.

“We keep modernising to avoid being left behind, yet we are still paid peanuts. The airlines must face reality; we cannot continue this way,” he stated.

Farouk accused airline operators of unfairness, insisting that while they adjust fares to reflect economic realities, they resist a review of NAMA’s charges. “We are not a charity organisation. We only want to recover costs to ensure safety is not compromised,” he said.

Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Abdullahi Garba represented by his deputy, Festus Akingbaso described the summit as crucial to strengthening aviation safety, infrastructure, and regulatory compliance.

He added that the retreat would help develop actionable plans to enhance the Nigerian aviation sector.