FG begins collection of helicopter landing charges in Rivers

By Adeleye Kunle

The Federal Government through its consultant has inaugurated a team to drive its new initiative of collecting landing and take-off charges from helicopters operating on all platforms across the country.

The implementation committee for Rivers State was inaugurated at the International Wing of the Port Harcourt Airport on Thursday by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Naebi Dynamic, Chike Stanley.

Stanley took the step to advance the mandate given to the firm by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, when he inaugurated a consortium in Port Harcourt to collect landing and take-off charges from helicopters operating within the country’s airspace.

Sirika had said the initiative would help to increase revenue generation in the sector and create employment opportunities across the country.

The team inaugurated by Stanley comprised all stakeholders in the aviation sector such as the Police, the Department of State Security (DSS), representatives of the Rivers Government, and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), among others.

Stanley said the implementation team would help the firm have easy access to all the platforms, oil rigs, airstrips, aerodromes, helipads and helipods located in Rivers to enable it actualise its mandate.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Sirika saying the initiative would help to generate over 15,000 jobs in the nearest future and curb criminality and restiveness among the youths