Aviation unions under the auspices of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have issued a new seven-day ultimatum to airline operators to remit the outstanding 5 per cent ticket sale charges (TSC) owed to aviation agencies.
In a letter signed by Frances Akinjole, general secretary of ATSSSAN, and Odinaka Igbokwe, deputy general secretary of NUATE, addressed to the chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Ikeja, Lagos, the unions noted that their earlier 14-day ultimatum, issued in July, expired on July 23 without compliance from the defaulting airlines.
The unions pointed out that the continued non-remittance of the charges has deprived aviation agencies of critical funding needed to maintain the safety of Nigeria’s airspace while also affecting the welfare of workers.
“This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk,” they said.
The unions said they could no longer “helplessly fold our hands” while the safety of the country’s airspace remained compromised.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had placed 11 domestic airline operators on a “no-pay-no-service” sanction list over outstanding financial obligations.
NCAA instructed all its directorates to withhold services from the affected airlines pending financial clearance.
However, the regulator temporarily suspended the enforcement of its “no-pay-no-service” directive against the airlines.
Director-general of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, said the decision followed a review of current operating realities in the sector, particularly the rising cost of aviation fuel and its impact on airline operations and overall industry stability.
Najomo clarified that the suspension does not represent a cancellation, waiver, or forgiveness of the affected airlines’ outstanding obligations.
