NAMA Challenges Airlines Over Unchanged Tariff Since 2008, Pushes for Review

|By Adejumo Adekunle

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has faulted domestic airlines for resisting its proposal to review flight tariffs, insisting that its current rate of N11,000 per flight has remained stagnant since 2008 despite rising operational costs.

NAMA’s Director General, Farouk Umar, made the disclosure on Tuesday at a summit convened by lawmakers. He argued that while airfares have soared over the years— with economy-class tickets now ranging between N150,000 and N200,000—the agency still charges airlines the same tariff set 17 years ago.

“The airlines have not been fair to the agency,” Umar said, stressing that maintaining aviation infrastructure under the prevailing economic realities is no longer sustainable at the current rate.

Airline operators, however, have pushed back, warning that any increase in NAMA’s tariff would ultimately fall on passengers, worsening the already steep cost of domestic travel.

The standoff sets the stage for renewed debate over balancing regulatory costs with passenger protection in Nigeria’s fragile aviation sector.