NCAA, Airlines Settle On N22bn Debt

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said yesterday it is developing a flexible payment plan to retrieve the over N22bn debts being owed by airline operators.

Economic Confidential reports that the NCAA had recently vowed to impose sanctions for operators over the increasing debt portfolio.

The breakdown of the debt includes N19.37 billion and $6,993,284 million (N2.7 billion) which represents unremitted Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC).

The CSC is collected by airlines and remitted to the NCAA for onward sharing with four other aviation agencies including NCAA, NAMA, AIB and NCAT, Zaria.

But yesterday, the Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu said the authority has reached an accord with the operators for a flexible method to recover the money.

He spoke in Lagos yesterday while hosting members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation who were on oversight visit to the apex aviation regulatory agency.

According to him, after reconciling with all the airlines, a payment plan that would be favourable to all the parties would be worked out.

The DG said the NCAA had concluded a plan to develop all its regional offices between now and 2024 to provide for adequate training of manpower to ensure that the regulatory agency is visible in all the nooks and cranny of the country.

Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji lauded the NCAA for being on top of its game especially at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the industry was shut down.