The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended regulatory services to 11 local airlines over unpaid debts owed to the agency.
The affected operators include Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air, ValueJet, NG Eagle and Umza Air.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026. The document instructed all departments of the NCAA to stop providing services to the affected airlines until they settle their outstanding obligations or reach repayment agreements with the authority.
The development followed growing concerns within the aviation sector over the non-remittance of statutory charges collected by airlines on behalf of the regulator.
At the centre of the issue are the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge. The funds are deducted from ticket and cargo transactions and are expected to be remitted to the NCAA to support safety regulation, training, oversight activities and other operational responsibilities within the aviation industry.
According to the memo, every directorate of the agency has been directed to deny services to the listed airlines unless clearance is obtained from the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.
“The DGCA has directed that no directorate should render any service to the above airline without financial clearance from the director of finance and account,” the document stated.
The memo was signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, and circulated to NCAA regional offices and senior officials, including the Director-General of Civil Aviation.
The action means the affected airlines could face disruptions in accessing regulatory approvals and administrative support from the aviation authority.
