The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), on Sunday, expressed concern over huge debt (N6 billion) by airlines, saying it was hampering the Agencies from carrying out their financial obligations.
In his Christmas message to air travellers, operators and others, Muhtar Usman, director general of the Authority, noticed with dismay, failure by the airlines to pay promptly, the five percent Ticket Sales charge (TSC), to the Agencies, saying the Agencies are already in dire strait.
“The Authority however notice with serious concern the huge debts of airlines as a result of failure to settle promptly invoices as at when due. This poses serious financial challenges to the various Parastatals that benefit from the 5% Ticket, Charter and Cargo Sales Charges.
“Consequently, the Authority would be pleased to see that the Airlines put plans in place towards the full liquidation of all outstanding indebtedness. The settlement of those debts will go a long way in assisting Authority fulfil its statutory obligations to the Country and the world at large”, he said.
He however said the Authority is fully committed to strict enforcement of compliance to safety Regulations in order to engender safe operations at all times.
Meanwhile, in his message to air travellers, operators and other stakeholders, he said: The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority wishes all Airline Operators and all aviation stakeholders a happy Christmas celebration and a prosperous new year in advance.
“We thank God for a safe operation in the outgoing year and we look forward to a safe and secure operation in the coming years. Safety is a collective responsibility and we appreciate the cooperation from all stakeholders, particularly the airlines towards the safe operations in the outgoing year”, he added.
