NCAA suspends regulatory services to Air Peace, Ibom Air, nine others over unpaid debts

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has directed its departments to suspend regulatory and administrative services to 11 domestic airlines, placing them on an updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges.

The directive, contained in an internal memorandum dated May 22, 2026, ordered all NCAA directorates to withhold services from the affected operators until they clear their outstanding debts or agree on repayment plans.

At the heart of the dispute is the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, which airlines collect on behalf of the NCAA to fund safety oversight, personnel training, and economic regulation within the aviation sector.

The memo also instructed all directorates to withhold services pending financial clearance from the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.

The document was signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts and circulated across the authority’s regional offices.

Airlines affected by the directive include Air Peace Limited, Ibom Air Limited, Arik Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air Limited, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air, and ValueJet.

The memorandum stated that no directorate should render any service to the listed airlines without financial clearance from the finance directorate.

Under the directive, affected airlines face the risk of immediate interruptions in regulatory support, raising concerns among operators and passengers over possible operational delays and broader industry consequences.