NUPRC Retains $300 Helicopter Levy, Exempts Offshore Platforms From Terminal Charge
By Sunday Etuka
Nigeria’s Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has announced that the controversial $300 per landing helicopter levy for air navigational services will remain in force, following a months long review by a special ministerial committee set up to address industry complaints about the charge.
In a circular dated 28 August 2026 and signed by Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, NUPRC said the Ministerial Review Committee, convened on 9 March 2026 by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, had completed its assessment of the levy’s structure and how it is administered.
The committee included representatives from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and NAMA’s collection consultant, alongside NUPRC itself.
Among its key findings, the committee confirmed the $300 levy per landing will continue to be collected by NAMA through its existing mechanism. However, operators secured a significant concession on the separate Terminal Navigational Charge (TNC), which will now apply only to landings at government owned aerodromes.
Private offshore facilities and platforms are exempt, though the TNC still applies to helicopter flights unrelated to upstream petroleum work, such as medical evacuations, private charters and agricultural operations.
The circular also directed that the levy be classified as a statutory air navigation charge for cost reporting purposes, with NUPRC to issue further guidance on how the charge and any prior TNC costs should be reflected in operators’ books.
Separately, NAMA has been tasked with rolling out low altitude flight monitoring and surveillance systems for national security and airspace governance, which will require flight manifests, movement logs and offshore activity data from operators. Details of that requirement will come directly from NAMA.
In a move likely to be welcomed by industry, the Commission stated that no new or revised fee affecting upstream petroleum operations may be introduced going forward without prior consultation with NUPRC and other stakeholders, citing section 25 of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
NUPRC has asked all upstream operators, licensees, lessees and their helicopter service providers to note the outcome and adjust their contractual, invoicing and cost recovery arrangements accordingly.
