On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, the Director-General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Umar, warned that the N11,000 fee charged to airlines per flight, unchanged since 2008, is no longer viable given escalating costs for aviation infrastructure maintenance, as stated during a summit by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation (Web:0, Web:1, Web:5). Umar highlighted that the fee applies per flight, not per passenger, citing a Lagos-Abuja route where airlines pay N11,000 regardless of carrying 100 or 200 passengers, while economy tickets now cost N150,000–N200,000 (Web:0, Web:3). He emphasized NAMA’s cost-recovery model, noting that inflation, naira depreciation (N1,500/$1), and supply chain disruptions have inflated expenses for navigation, communication, and surveillance systems (Web:1, Web:4).
Umar revealed failed attempts to adjust fees due to airline resistance, criticizing operators for raising fares to reflect their costs while opposing NAMA’s review, warning that underfunding risks safety (Web:0, Web:2). House Committee Chairman Abdullahi Garba, represented by Deputy Festus Akingbaso, pledged legislative support for NAMA if efficiency is demonstrated, stressing collaboration and transparency (Web:0, Web:5). X posts from @NAMA_Nigeria (September 2, 2025) reiterated the call for review, while @Naija_Activist noted 67% public concern over aviation safety amid 1,200 unruly passenger incidents in 2024 (NCAA data) (Post:3). The summit signals potential reforms in Nigeria’s aviation funding amid global standards alignment.
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