By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has placed 11 domestic airline operators on a “no-pay-no-service” sanction list over outstanding financial obligations.
The development followed a directive from the agency’s director-general, according to an internal memo dated May 22 and signed by Olufemi Odukoya, the authority’s director of finance and accounts.
The NCAA instructed all its directorates to withhold services from the affected airlines pending financial clearance.
“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(AGHAN) had issued a final three-day ultimatum to airlines over outstanding debts, warning that services will be withdrawn from May 6 if payments are not made.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”.
