The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed its departments to suspend services to 11 domestic airlines over unpaid statutory charges owed to the aviation regulator.
The directive was contained in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, obtained on Sunday, which instructed all NCAA directorates to deny regulatory and administrative services to the affected operators until they settle their outstanding debts or agree on repayment arrangements.
The affected airlines include Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air and ValueJet.
At the centre of the dispute are the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, statutory levies collected by airlines on behalf of the NCAA to support safety regulation, personnel training and oversight within the aviation sector.
The memo, signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, was circulated to NCAA regional offices and copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation and other senior officials.
According to the document, all departments were instructed not to provide any service to the listed airlines without clearance from the finance department.
“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 memo stated.
The directive means the affected airlines could face disruptions in accessing regulatory approvals and other administrative support pending settlement of their debts.
The development has also raised concerns within the aviation sector over possible operational delays and broader implications for airline operations and passengers.
