Sanusi Opposes $300 Helicopter Fee, Cites Lack of Service

BY ANTHONY OMOH

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, has argued that NAEBI Dynamic Concept Limited, the company demanding the $300 helicopter landing fee payment, has not made any investment to justify such a charge under the pretext of cost recovery. He said the company has not provided any infrastructure, services, or improvements in helicopter operations that would support the introduction of the controversial fee.

Speaking on the issue, Sanusi, who was also a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), questioned the legitimacy of the fee. He stated that cost recovery charges in aviation must be linked to tangible investments and added value to operational efficiency.

“You can’t just show up and impose a levy without offering any service,” Sanusi said.

“If NAEBI claims they’ve invested, then they should show Nigerians exactly what has been done — whether in communication, surveillance or navigation (CNS).”

The helicopter landing fee dispute traces back to an earlier approval granted by former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, allowing NAEBI to collect $300 per landing from helicopter operators serving the oil and gas sector. Recently, NAMA reinforced this directive, threatening to deny takeoff clearance to non-compliant helicopter firms.

However, Sanusi countered that such an arrangement contradicts International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) principles on cost recovery. He noted that cost recovery must be service-based and regulated, not arbitrary.

“If I invest in radios or navigational aids, I can reasonably recover costs over time. But here, there is zero investment,” he insisted.

He emphasized that NAMA, established by law, is the only authorized provider of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) services in Nigeria. Sanusi queried what legal framework allows a private firm like NAEBI to offer or charge for services it has no mandate to deliver.

“What part of CNS is NAEBI delivering? None. So how can they charge for what they don’t provide?”

Transitioning to regulatory implications, Sanusi warned that permitting such fees could open the floodgates for arbitrary levies in the aviation sector.

“Today it’s $300 per landing. Tomorrow someone might demand $500 or even $1,000. Where do we draw the line?”

He described the situation as a slippery slope where private entities use access to government for personal gain, rather than investing to improve aviation infrastructure.

Furthermore, he said government is legally empowered to collect fees or taxes to fund infrastructure, healthcare, and education — but private firms must justify any similar charges with demonstrable service delivery.

Sanusi also revealed inconsistencies in how the fee was to be collected. Initially, helicopter companies were targeted. After resistance, oil and gas companies were asked to pay instead. Still, both parties have refused.

“Why are we insisting on this payment when there’s no basis for it?” he asked.

“Helicopter companies already pay terminal navigation charges, landing fees, and other statutory dues at public and private airfields.”

According to him, the helicopter landing fee dispute is not only unnecessary but also damaging to investor confidence and regulatory clarity in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

He reiterated his belief that unless NAEBI can provide verifiable proof of investment in communication, navigation, or surveillance infrastructure, the $300 landing fee has no merit and should be scrapped.

Sanusi called on the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to reassert his earlier directive suspending the payment, which he believes was given in the interest of fairness and regulatory order.

“They pay charges to NAMA already,” Sanusi said.

“If the company has added value, let them present it transparently. But as it stands, they have added none.”

He also stressed that by allowing such unauthorised levies, the aviation industry could become vulnerable to exploitation. Aviation, he noted, requires consistent regulation to ensure safety, fairness, and investment growth.

Sanusi maintained that helicopter shuttle operators already comply with legal financial obligations, and introducing unsupported fees by non-government entities only creates confusion. He urged the aviation authorities to act swiftly and restore regulatory sanity.