The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed its directorates to suspend services to 11 domestic airlines, placing them on its updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges owed to the regulator. This directive, contained in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, orders all NCAA departments to withhold regulatory and administrative services from the affected operators until they clear their outstanding debts or agree on repayment plans.
The core of the dispute lies in the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge. These are funds collected by airlines on behalf of the NCAA to support safety oversight, personnel training, and economic regulation within the aviation sector. The memo, signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, was circulated across the authority’s regional offices and copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation and other senior officials.
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. The document explicitly states that the Director-General of Civil Aviation has directed that no directorate should render any service to these airlines without financial clearance from the director of finance and accounts.
Under this directive, the affected airlines risk immediate interruptions in regulatory support. This development has raised concerns among operators and passengers over possible operational delays and wider industry implications. The NCAA relies on these statutory charges and service-related payments to fund its inspections, oversight responsibilities, and other regulatory activities.
The situation underscores the financial strain on Nigeria’s aviation sector, exacerbated by rising aviation fuel costs, foreign exchange challenges, and high operating expenses. Several domestic airlines have recently faced operational disruptions linked to these pressures, alongside aircraft maintenance challenges and limited fleet availability.
