Stakeholders split over NAMA’s share of aviation levies

The controversy over the sharing formula for the Ticket Sales Charge in the aviation sector has taken several turns, with stakeholders divided over whether the solution lies in allocating a larger share to safety agencies or in first subjecting their funding needs to an independent assessment of efficiency and infrastructure.

This was as our correspondent gathered the thoughts of concerned industry experts, who have expressed concern over the growing tension in the industry resulting from the TSC sharing formula.

While some stakeholders argue that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency requires a larger share of the aviation levy to keep critical navigation and air traffic control infrastructure operational, others caution that increased funding without demonstrated efficiency could amount to throwing more money at an underperforming system.

Experts say across agency lines, the government should ensure discreet investigations into the spending of the agencies.

Former Group Captain at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, John Ojikutu (rtd.), said NAMA’s responsibilities and operating costs justified a review of its share of the TSC, arguing that the agency provides essential services that underpin the safety of virtually every flight operating through Nigerian airspace.

According to him, NAMA provides air traffic and navigational services to commercial airlines, private and government aircraft, diplomatic flights and military traffic.

Ojikutu added that NAMA’s responsibilities include air traffic control, flight information, aeronautical information, emergency coordination, search and rescue coordination and en-route navigation services.

He further said the agency also manages Nigeria’s territorial airspace and ensures safe separation of aircraft from departure through their routes and arrival at destination, including flights transiting Nigerian airspace.

Ojikutu noted that the system depends on a network of sophisticated equipment, including surveillance radars, Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range, Distance Measuring Equipment, Instrument Landing Systems, and VHF and HF communication systems.

“These are critical safety equipment, and they cannot be allowed to operate beyond their maintenance and calibration limits,” he argued.

According to him, the equipment and services are supported by more than 3,000 personnel, including over 800 air traffic controllers and more than 500 engineers and technologists, alongside ICT, administrative, finance and other support staff.

He stressed that personnel and equipment require regular expenditure, with controllers and engineers undergoing mandatory recurrent training and medical checks, while navigational equipment is subjected to scheduled maintenance and calibration.

“Some of these pieces of equipment, like the ILS, require periodic maintenance and calibration every six months, while VORs, DMEs and radars have mandatory maintenance every 12 months,” he said.

Ojikutu argued that NAMA’s earnings from charges on airlines and private operators were insufficient to meet the cost of maintaining the extensive safety infrastructure.