The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sanctioned 11 domestic airlines, including Air Peace, Arik Air and Ibom Air, over unpaid statutory remittances, directing all departments within the agency to suspend services to the affected operators.
The enforcement action, conveyed in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, places the airlines on a “No-Pay-No-Service” list pending the settlement of their outstanding obligations to the regulator.
Other affected carriers are United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air, Overland Airways, ValueJet, NG Eagle, Umza Air, Rano Air and Caverton Helicopters.
The memo, signed by the NCAA Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, stated that no department within the authority should provide regulatory or administrative services to the listed airlines without clearance from the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.
According to the directive, the suspension will remain in force until the airlines fully clear their debts or enter into structured repayment arrangements acceptable to the authority.
The debts relate to unremitted five per cent Ticket Sales Charges and Cargo Sales Charges collected by the airlines on behalf of the NCAA as part of mandatory statutory obligations.
The charges serve as a major funding source for the authority’s safety oversight functions, regulatory operations, personnel training and other aviation administration activities.
The circular was distributed to NCAA departments and copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation, along with other top officials of the agency.
The development has sparked concerns within the aviation industry over possible operational difficulties for the affected airlines, especially in securing critical approvals and regulatory support services.
Stakeholders said the move reflects a tougher compliance stance by the NCAA amid mounting concerns about a poor remittance culture and revenue leaks in the domestic aviation sector.
