The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has disclosed that it will raise en route navigational charges from N2000 and N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight. The agency also increased the extension of service hours to airlines from N50,000 to N450,000, representing an 800% increase per extension to allow the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period.
Aviation experts say the development implies an imminent increase in airfares by domestic airlines to reflect the new increases.
The managing director of NAMA, Umar Ahmed Farouk, disclosed this on Friday, July 26, 2024, at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) seminar in Lagos.
Reports say that in January, NAMA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) held a strategic meeting with airline operators to review the N16,000 Terminal Enroute Navigational Charges.
The meeting tried to get the airlines’ understanding of the rate review, which the airlines agreed needed to be adjusted. NAMA said it decided to ease its airspace surveillance and airport security cost, which could lead to high-cost increases in domestic and international airfares.
The NAMA boss stated that the industry needed very efficient pricing of products and services, which is essential for boosting affordability, driving competition, and improving operational efficiency. Farouk stressed that the price for services must reflect the value of the services.
