The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has raised en-route navigational charges from N6,000 to N18,000 and N54,000 per flight just as the airspace agency equally increased the extension of hours of service to airlines from N50,000 to 450,000 per extension to enable the agency to recover the cost of diesel and other logistics during the period of extension.
The Managing Director of NAMA, Umar Ahmed Farouk disclosed on Friday at the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) seminar theme, “Aviation Survivability amidst a Challenging Macro-Economic Environment,” held in Lagos.
Recall that NAMA and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in January held a strategic meeting with some airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to review what has been described as the outdated N16,000 Terminal Enroute Navigational Charges (TNS).
The meeting held in Abuja was called at the instance of the NCAA and NAMA to get the understanding of the airlines on the review of the rate which the airlines admitted needed to be reviewed.
The implication of the action which NAMA took to cushion its high cost of airspace surveillance and security could further lead to astronomical increases in domestic airfares and by extension fares on international routes.
