The Federal Government has reintroduced the US$300 levy payable for every helicopter landing for air navigation services, while exempting oil and gas operators from the Terminal Navigational Charge (TNC) when helicopters land at private offshore platforms.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced the decision in a circular dated August 28 and addressed to upstream petroleum operators, licensees, lessees and their helicopter service providers.

The commission said the decision followed concerns raised by stakeholders in the upstream sector over the introduction, structure and implementation of the helicopter levy.

According to the circular signed by NUPRC Chief Executive Officer, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development constituted a ministerial review committee on March 9 to examine the levy.

The committee comprised representatives of the NUPRC, Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and NAMA’s appointed collection consultant.

Following the review, the committee resolved to retain the US$300 charge per helicopter landing, with payments to be made to NAMA through its approved collection mechanism.

“The Levy of US$300 (Three Hundred United States Dollars) per landing is retained and remains payable to NAMA through its approved collection mechanism,” NUPRC said.

The commission, however, clarified that the Terminal Navigational Charge applies only to landings at government-owned aerodromes.

“The Terminal Navigational Charge (TNC) is payable only in respect of a landing at a government-owned aerodrome and does not apply to a landing at a private offshore facility or platform,” the circular stated.

NUPRC said the TNC would continue to apply to helicopter operations outside upstream petroleum activities, including medical evacuation, private charter and agricultural operations.

The commission also classified the US$300 levy as a statutory air navigation charge for cost-reporting purposes.

It said it would communicate the applicable classification and reporting requirements, including the treatment of costs previously recorded under the TNC for upstream helicopter services.

As part of the new arrangement, NAMA is expected to deploy low-altitude flight monitoring and surveillance systems to strengthen national security and airspace governance.

NUPRC said operators would be required to provide flight manifests, movement logs and offshore activity data, with NAMA expected to communicate the specific requirements.

The commission also warned that no new or revised fee, levy or charge having a direct impact on upstream petroleum operations should be introduced without prior consultation with the NUPRC and other relevant stakeholders.

NUPRC said the requirement was in line with Section 25 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The commission directed all upstream petroleum operators, licensees, lessees and helicopter service providers to align their contractual, invoicing and cost-recovery arrangements with the latest decisions.

The latest development follows the Federal Government’s decision on March 10 to suspend enforcement of helicopter landing fees for two months.

In May 2024, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development had also announced the temporary suspension of the helicopter landing levy following pushback from industry stakeholders, barely a month after its approval.

The levy was subsequently reintroduced later in 2024, although the development was not publicly announced at the time.