The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will begin enforcing new air cargo tariffs on February 2, 2026, ending nearly two decades without a review of its cargo charges.
The adjustment, which applies only to cargo operations, was approved in 2025 but deliberately postponed while FAAN overhauled its internal controls and blocked revenue leakages that had weakened collections.
According to an internal report seen by TheCable, the authority concluded that raising tariffs before fixing operational gaps would have delivered little benefit, as a significant share of earnings would still have been lost.
Under the new pricing regime:
The increases cover import and export cargo, transshipments and cargo vehicle surcharges. Passenger-related tariffs are unaffected.
FAAN officials said the review reflects the erosion of tariff value since 2006, noting that other actors in the logistics chain — including customs, ground handlers and agents — have repeatedly raised charges over the same period.
“FAAN maintains runways, aprons, terminals, security, lighting and access infrastructure that enable cargo operators to function, yet its cargo tariffs have remained unchanged for nearly 20 years,” a senior official said.
The authority said it consulted the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as well as industry groups and other stakeholders before settling on the adjustment.
FAAN said the tariff implementation follows reforms introduced by its cargo development and services directorate, aimed at improving revenue assurance rather than volume growth.
One key change was the return of FAAN operational staff and revenue desks to cargo warehouses, alongside stricter oversight of unaccompanied luggage. The authority said these steps shut down long-standing leakages.
Operational data cited by FAAN show that at cargo terminals operated by NAHCO and SAHCO, revenue collections improved in 2025 despite lower cargo throughput compared with the previous year.
The authority said the performance confirmed that tighter controls — not higher volumes — were responsible for the gains, reinforcing its decision to delay the tariff hike until systems were stabilised.
