The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has issued an update to upstream petroleum operators, licensees and lessees clarifying the application of the US$300 Helicopter Levy for Air Navigational Services.
In a circular signed by the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the NUPRC
confirmed that the $300 helicopter levy remains payable to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), while the Terminal Navigational Charge (TNC) does not apply to helicopter landings at private offshore facilities and platforms.
The review follows concerns raised by the Commission on behalf of upstream stakeholders over the introduction, structure and operationalisation of the levy, which prompted the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), to constitute a Ministerial Review Committee on 9 March 2026.
Based on the review, the Terminal Navigational Charge (TNC) remains applicable to helicopter operations that are not undertaken in support of upstream petroleum operations, including medical evacuation, private charter and agricultural operations.
Following its review, the Committee concluded as follows:
1. The Levy of US$300 (Three Hundred United States Dollars) per landing is retained and remains payable to NAMA through its approved collection mechanism;
2. 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. It remains applicable to helicopter operations not undertaken in support of upstream petroleum operations, 3. 4. 5. including medical evacuation, private charter and agricultural operations;
3. The Levy is to be treated as a statutory air navigation charge for cost reporting purposes. The Commission will communicate the applicable classification and reporting requirements, including the treatment of any cost element previously recorded in respect of the TNC for upstream helicopter services, through the relevant instruments;
4. NAMA is to deploy low-altitude flight monitoring and surveillance systems in the interest of national security and airspace governance, for which flight manifests, movement logs and offshore activity data will be required. The requirements in that regard fall within the mandate of NAMA and will be communicated by NAMA; and
5. No new or revised fee, levy or charge having a direct impact on upstream petroleum operations should be introduced without prior consultation with the Commission and other relevant stakeholders, in accordance with section 25 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
All upstream petroleum operators, licensees, lessees, and their helicopter service providers are requested to take note of the foregoing and align their contractual, invoicing, and cost-recovery arrangements accordingly.
