Sao Tome Bills
 

Have recently received a bill from a company called AVC Aviation Consultants for navigation fees on behalf of ENASA for overflying Sao Tome.
Is this genuine or a scam as I have no way of finding out? What makes me suspicious is the bank account they want me to send the money is in Kenya. Why Kenya?
The other thing that makes me suspicious is that the flights they are billing are quite a few years old.
Any info would be much appreciated.

Scam
 

Sounds like a scam to me. I've flown over Sao Tome and Principe many times over the years and this has never happened. Usually I have paid nav fees enroute to the appropriate people (usually ASECNA for this region).

Does your flight match the dates they gave?

Scam?
Yes they have a list of the correct flights. I have never received a bill for overflying San Tome before this. Perhaps they got a list of flights from Asecna. Where are you? Abidjan?

avc Aviation
 

My dear

it might be AVC Aviation is the company arranged Sao Tome O/F permit for you, or someone else arranged Sao Tome O/F Permit through AVC Aviation, then AVC Aviation has account witkh ASCENA for Nav fees, that might be the reason to pay in their bank in Kenya otherwise there is something wrong.

Yes I am. We've never had these bills before. And we fly through their airspace when we go to Libreville.

As far as I know ASECNA charge everything.

I have received an account and documentation from Sao Tome stating that this company collects for them. Asecna fees are extra.

Welcome to Africa. :ugh::ugh::ugh:

Ask them: enasast at Hotmail dot com or then try them here
plus two three nine two two two five six one

Sao Tome was a Portuguese Colony. Kenya does not make sense
Normally you may receive these bills from Lisbon or direct from IATA in Brussels if your address in the IATA register is correct
South Africa through the AirNAV. Company is also an approved collecting agency for IATA/ICAO for all ZS registered a/c for all international nav. fees

Or just do like we do, pay them when you land there...one day, cause they will not let you go otherwise :)

African Aviation
"it might be AVC Aviation is the company arranged Sao Tome O/F permit for you, or someone else arranged Sao Tome O/F Permit through AVC Aviation, "

My dear. If you are charging people for Overflight Sao Tome you are ripping them off because all they need is 2 hours notification by flight plan.
We have never applied for O/F permission and never been asked for a permit number
These bills state they are for Nav fees for the Sao Tome TMA.

the problem is you get from Asecna and you pay each country but what chance do you have when you argue that you have paid Asecna. You just get told that unless you pay they will ban you. I have had accounts from Asecna and also paid when landing in Ghana and both parties just shrug their shoulders and say pay.

What chance do you stand.

Africa is not for Sissies:sad:

At our airline, until recently we wouldn't overfly Sao Tome as they wouldn't let us use their airspace cause we didn't pay the said bill. We finally did, last week we finally got authorization for O/F. Way better than having to deal with Lagos ATC :ugh:.

Air navigation charges AVC/ ENASA São Tomé
 

Dear All,

Today I first read your message about air navigation charges of São Tomé and if there is a scam. There is no scam, AVC is the collecting agency for air navigation charges for ENASA, the Public Corporation for Airports and Air Navigation Services of the Republic of São Tomé & Príncipe. Notification on this appointment is available at http://www.ais-asecna.org/pdf/circul.../aic07fc04.pdf.
AVC and ASECNA are different entities and AVC Head office is in Nairobi, Kenya, official address AMBANK Building 17th floor - P. O. Box 685 – 0621
Nevertheless you can contact a Portuguese representation office at Portugal, in Lisbon, call to cell phone +3517407736 and La Salete will be glad to answer your questions and help.
:)