The Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered a temporary suspension of the enforcement and collection of helicopter landing fees imposed on oil and gas operators following concerns raised by stakeholders in the petroleum industry.
The directive was issued by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, after a meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, regulators and representatives of major oil industry groups at the aviation ministry headquarters in Abuja.
According to a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the meeting brought together officials from both the aviation and petroleum sectors to review the implementation of helicopter landing charges introduced by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency for helicopter operations supporting oil and gas activities.
Industry representatives at the meeting warned that continued enforcement of the levy could disrupt critical logistics operations used to support offshore oil production. Helicopter services play a key role in transporting personnel, equipment and emergency supplies to oil fields, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and Floating Production Storage and Offloading facilities.
Participants in the discussions included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, as well as representatives of the Oil Producers Trade Section and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group. Aviation sector officials present included senior representatives of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Umar Farouk.
Following deliberations, Keyamo directed that enforcement of the helicopter landing fee be suspended for an initial period of two months to allow further consultations between government agencies and industry stakeholders.
The minister also approved the immediate establishment of an inter-ministerial committee made up of representatives from the aviation and petroleum sectors. The committee is expected to review the concerns raised by oil industry operators and recommend an operational framework that balances aviation regulatory requirements with the logistics needs of offshore energy operations.
Officials at the meeting noted that helicopter operations are essential to Nigeria’s offshore oil infrastructure, providing vital services including crew transfers, technical support and emergency response capabilities.
Both ministers reaffirmed the commitment of their respective ministries to continued collaboration in developing policies that support efficient aviation oversight while sustaining operations within the country’s oil and gas sector, which remains a critical pillar of the national economy.
