NCAA sanctions Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik, 11 airlines over unpaid debts

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has placed 11 domestic airline operators on a “no-pay-no-service” sanction list over outstanding financial obligations owed to the agency.

The decision followed a directive reportedly issued by the authority’s Director-General, according to an internal memo dated May 22 and signed by Olufemi Odukoya, the NCAA’s Director of Finance and Accounts.

In the memo, the aviation regulator directed all its directorates to immediately withhold services from the affected airlines until they obtain financial clearance from the agency.

The move is expected to affect several operational and regulatory services usually provided by the NCAA to airline operators.

The authority said the action became necessary as part of efforts to enforce compliance with financial obligations within the aviation sector.

“The DGCA has directed that no directorate should render any service to the above airlines without financial clearance from the director of finance & accounts,” the memo reads.

The airlines listed are 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.

The Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) had issued a final three-day ultimatum to airlines over outstanding debts, warning that services will be withdrawn from May 6 if payments are not made.

On April 23, President Bola Tinubu approved a 30 percent discount on debts owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies.

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, said the debts include parking charges for Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), navigational charges to Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and “other fees owed by the airlines”.

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