CHUKS OKOH.
Appeal has gone to the the Federal government to consider an upward review of navigational charges of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in order to enable it meet its service to customers
The newly elected president of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) Comrade John Ogala Ogbe, who made this appeal when exchanging views on the aviation sector with a select of Aviation Journalists in his office at the airport in Lagos, noted that NAMA’s navigational charges are long overdue for review.
Ogbe noted that the the last review which is over 15 years, can no longer sustain the agencie as a result of the economic situation in the country which has affected every aspect.
“For NAMA, there is something I observed, their navigational charges have been there for over 15 years and the rate has not changed. Even if it is on cost recovery, the cost of providing that services 15 years ago can not be the same thing now. Government should look into the navigational charges by NAMA, it is very important”
Ogbe said proper upward review will enable the agency to functionally carry out it’s responsibility and support adding that absence of navigating services will lead to safety concern
According to the ATSSSAN president, the Agency needed funds to keep it’s facilities functioning adding that cost of equipment have gone up astronomically especially in the aviation sector.
NAMA as a service provider and in accordance with ICAO best practices, is a non-profit organization. This is well spelt out in ICAO Doc 9082 which recommended cost recovery for service provision to cater for the cost of equipment, personnel, trainings and other ancillary costs
For a long period of time, NAMA has been charging as low N11,000 per flight when a one-way domestic ticket cost only N16,000. While ticket prices today have gone up astronomically to as high as between N150,000 to N300,000 for a one way economy ticket owing to the prevailing economic circumstances, NAMA’s navigational charges have remained the same since June, 2008.
