BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Nigeria’s aviation sector may experience operational setbacks after the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), moved to tighten enforcement on airlines owing regulatory levies, targeting 11 local carriers in a fresh compliance crackdown.
In a directive issued on May 22, 2026, the aviation regulator instructed its departments nationwide to halt official support and approvals for the affected operators until outstanding financial obligations are resolved or structured repayment arrangements are reached.
The action stems from unpaid remittances linked to the mandatory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, deductions airlines collect on behalf of the NCAA to finance aviation safety monitoring, workforce development and economic supervision across the industry.
According to the internal communication signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, no agency unit is permitted to provide services to any listed airline without prior financial authorisation from the finance department. The memo was also copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation and senior management officials.
Among the carriers affected are Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air and ValueJet.
Industry stakeholders say the enforcement measure could disrupt regulatory processing for the airlines involved, potentially affecting flight operations, approvals and other administrative activities if the debt issues remain unresolved.
