The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) is not comfortable with its current charges for services it renders to airlines.

Managing Director of the Agency,Engr.Umar Farouk indicated this while speaking at the 28^th Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents(LAAC) which took place at Providence Hotel,GRA,Ikeja Lagos.

According to him,since 2008,the Agency has been charging eleven thousand Naira(N11000) per flight for providing navigational services for the airlines while the cost of air ticket stood for sixteen thousand Naira(N16,000).

He told the gathering that over a period of that till date,the airlines have been responding to the prevailing economic circumstances as the price of ticket has been hovering between N150,000 toN200,000 saying,”they are expecting us to continue charging N11,000 per flight.I think it is grossly unfair.”

He explained that NAMA is a  cost recovery agency as enshrined in the International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) rules and regulations.

“ It is very clear. We are not also expected to release any fund to any institution by the Act that established the agency itself.”

“Here we are as a cost recovery agency, we are being pushed to serve as a charity organisation which we have to be very careful.”

Engr.Farouk commended the League for the theme for this year’s conference,noting that it is apt and timely to the agency that he  leads today because it is an opportunity for him to tell the whole world especially the stakeholders AON (Airline Operators of Nigeria) in particular, that it is not going to be business as usual and what NAMA is doing is unsustainable.

“We need them(AON) as much as they need us. Safety is sacrosanct. There is no parking space in the air. So we must prepare safety on ground and the only way we could do that is to make sure that our navigational charges are paid as when due. “

He appeal to the airlines for their cooperation to be able to ensure safety in the airspace.

“Don’t forget that 50 per cent is deducted at source from whatever we are generating and NAMA has also been removed from federal government appropriation. So where do you go from here?”

He implored the political leaders to look at the implication.Speaking further,he promised the Agency will write to the political leaders to intimate them to understand the true situation.