By Sade Williams
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has denied owing cost recovery charges to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) saying all cost recovery services rendered by the NCAA to domestic airline operators are paid for fully in advance on a cash-before-service basis.
The AON while condemning the claim by the NCAA that airlines were indebted to the regulatory agency for services rendered to them, described it as ‘not only misleading but represent a worrisome and unacceptable attempt to use the media to regulate operators outside the established regulatory framework’.
’For clarity, the NCAA issues an invoice for every regulatory service it provides, whether for the validation of crew operating licences, aircraft inspections, documentation renewals, or any other service within its regulatory mandate. Operators are then required to settle all such invoices in advance, and compliance is strictly observed before the NCAA renders any regulatory service.
”In practice, no domestic airline in Nigeria receives NCAA regulatory services without first making the full payment of invoices issued to it by the NCAA. This long-standing policy and procedure remains firmly in place. Consequently, suggestions that domestic airline operators are indebted to the NCAA for regulatory services are factually inaccurate.”, it said in a statement.
The airlines’ body claimed that what the NCAA refers to as ‘outstanding charges’ relates solely to the five percent (5%) Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), a Tax it said was ‘imposed by NCAA on passengers for no services rendered to passengers and not in consonance with the dictates of international aviation.’, adding that this is entirely different from regulatory service fees.
The AON also notes that several member airlines maintain dedicated accounts, from which the NCAA draws down its monthly remittances, until the force majure caused by the Iran -Isreal/USA conflict, that had put a lot of financial pressures on airlines worldwide.
Notwithstanding this arrangement, the AONdaud it had formally appealed to the Federal Government through the office of Honourable Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, to suspend the payment of all statutory charges temporarily, as an interim measure to assist airlines in managing their cash flows during the current period of severe financial stress caused by the increase in the cost of Jet Al.
”As an interim response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu graciously granted a 30% concession, while waiting for the government decision on the other aspects of the AON intervention request. While the AON acknowledges and appreciates this gesture, we had appealed for a meeting with Mr. President to discuss further reliefs, a request that is yet to be granted.
“The AON reiterates its position that the NCAA is a regulatory body, not a revenue-generating agency. The NCAA does not fund any aspect of our businesses or render any direct service to passengers. Each and every service it provides to airline operators are fully paid for in advance before such is rendered.
“In view of the above, the AON calls on the Federal Government to urgently amend the Civil Aviation Act to empower the NCAA to collect whatever appropriate fees and charges are due it directly from passengers or whoever else, without routing such through the domestic airlines. We request this to take effect from June 1, 2026. “, it added.
The body said this move will relieve domestic airlines of the financial burden of acting as collection agents for the NCAA, since airlines currently bear banking transfer charges and other transaction costs in the process of transmitting funds to the NCAA.
The 5% Ticket Service Charge in question was introduced over 45 years ago under the Government of General Gowon by the then Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) and its continued relevance has not been reviewed ever since.
”Meanwhile, the 5% TSC, which was originally a policy instrument was surreptitiously introduced into the legislation by the NCAA, despite the vehement opposition from the AON and other industry stakeholders. Domestic airlines, in addition to this 5% TSC, still pay separately ànd directly for services provided by the various industry agencies, including the NCAA itself.
“It is important to note that the 5% TSC is an ad valorem tax applied to an airline’s gross earnings, not profits. The global aviation industry operates at a profit margin of between 1.5% and 2.5% at best. International standard and best practice provides that aviation should be a cost-recovery sector of strategic importance. In Nigeria, however, the industry is being subjected to unsustainable financial pressures, in the guise of imposed taxes, fees, charges and levies.”, it said.
The AON used this occasion to once again draw the attention of the Federal Government to the unsustainable burden of these multiple taxes, fees, charges and levies arbitrarily imposed on domestic airline operators.
“We make payments to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and several other service providers and statutory bodies.
“The financial impact of these taxes, fees, charges and levies is adverse, burdensome and excruciating, especially at this precarious period, when the entire world has been exposed to the exogenous shocks of the Iran – Israel / USA crisis. The AON remains committed to constructive engagement with the government and all stakeholders to achieve a growth-oriented sector, designed to enable the accelerated growth of key sectors of the economy and the improvement and sustenance of a healthy quality of life for the citizenry.”, it added.
