The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has ordered its directorates to suspend services to 11 domestic airlines.
The NCAA also placed them on its updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges owed to the regulator.
An internal memo by the agency’s Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, ordered all departments to withhold regulatory and administrative services from the affected operators until they clear their outstanding debts or agree on repayment plans.
According to the agency, at the centre of the dispute are the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, funds collected by airlines on behalf of the NCAA to support safety oversight, personnel training and economic regulation within the aviation sector.
The memo also directed all directorates to suspend services to the affected airlines pending financial clearance from the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.
The memo was circulated across the authority’s regional offices and copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation and other senior officials.
According to the memo, airlines affected by the directive include “Air Peace Limited, Ibom Air Limited, Arik Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air Limited, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air and ValueJet.”
“We have directed that no directorate should render any service to the above airline without financial clearance from the director of finance and accounts,” NCAA said.