Aviation Unions Issue 14-Day Ultimatum to Airlines Over Unpaid Ticket Sales Charges

…Warn of Nationwide Industrial Action, Flight Disruptions
…Say Airlines Owe Aviation Agencies Billions in Statutory Remittances

By Frontline Reporters

A major industrial crisis may be looming in Nigeria’s aviation sector as aviation workers’ unions have issued a 14-day ultimatum to airlines operating in the country to remit all outstanding five per cent Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) collected on behalf of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other aviation agencies.

The unions warned that failure by the airlines to comply within the stipulated period would trigger industrial action capable of crippling flight operations nationwide, insisting that the continued withholding of the statutory charges has deprived aviation agencies of billions of naira needed to sustain safety oversight and other critical regulatory responsibilities.

The ultimatum was jointly issued on Wednesday by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) in a statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe.

According to the unions, several airlines have consistently failed to remit funds collected from passengers on behalf of government aviation agencies, despite the charges being statutory obligations under the Civil Aviation Act.

The workers noted that the outstanding remittances, accumulated over several months and years, now run into billions of naira, creating severe financial constraints for aviation agencies and undermining their ability to effectively carry out statutory duties, particularly those relating to aviation safety and regulatory oversight.

“Our unions have been compelled to express our grave concern over the reported failure of many airlines operating in Nigeria to remit the statutory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge collected on behalf of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and other aviation agencies for the purpose of maintaining safe air transportation in the country,” the statement read.

The unions stressed that the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is not an optional payment but a legal obligation backed by the Civil Aviation Act and international standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). They cited ICAO Doc 9734 (Safety Oversight Manual), which emphasises the need for stable and sustainable funding for aviation regulatory agencies.

They explained that the charge is paid by passengers as part of the cost of their airline tickets, while airlines merely serve as collection agents on behalf of the aviation agencies. Consequently, they said, prompt remittance of the funds is mandatory and essential for maintaining safe and efficient air transport operations.

Describing the continued non-remittance as unacceptable, the unions warned that it threatens the financial stability of aviation agencies, noting that the agencies are not profit-making organisations but cost-recovery institutions established to guarantee safety and effective regulation of the aviation industry.

The workers therefore directed all defaulting airlines to clear every outstanding Ticket Sales Charge within 14 days, describing the deadline as the final opportunity to avoid a nationwide industrial dispute.

“Failure to comply with this demand within the stipulated period will leave the Aviation Unions with no alternative but to employ every means necessary to ensure that the entire Nigerian aviation sector does not go aground because of air safety issues occasioned by the actions and inactions of airlines withholding the operational funds of aviation agencies,” the statement warned.

The development follows recent calls by the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) for the NCAA to adopt an alternative mechanism for collecting the Ticket Sales Charge, arguing that airlines could no longer continue collecting the levy on behalf of the regulator. Since making that demand, industry sources say several operators have stopped remitting the statutory charges.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Airlines Operators of Nigeria were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages sent to the association’s spokesman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

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