N47bn Debt Recovery: NCAA withdraws services from debtor airlines
..Says ‘no pay, no service’
By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo
In a move to recover over N47 billion it is being owed by local airlines, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has declared a ‘no pay, no service’ sanction on defaulting airlines.
The Acting Director General of NCAA Capt Chris Najomo who disclosed this in a media parley in Lagos threatening to apply the principle of ‘no pay, no service’ to recover its debts running into billions of naira.
According to Najomo, any airline that fails to service its debt henceforth may not have its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) renewed.
“Its operation, no pay, no service, now has strict sanctions for defaulting operators”.
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The NCAA DG, who said the authority has already set up a debt recovery task force mandated to implement the debt recovery drive, declared: “All debtors to the NCAA shall seize services from the authority.
According to Najomo, under his management, the NCAA aims to implement a robust risk-based surveillance system intended to close any potential gap opened by the increased validity period of AOCs for unscheduled and scheduled operators.
“This surveillance, which encompasses safety, security, and economic monitoring, will be extended to all service providers.”
The DG, who identified consumer protection as one of the areas that will receive focus from his management, promised that he will ensure airlines provide timely care to passengers for flight disruptions.
He said he will ensure consumers receive quality service in the Nigerian aviation sector, adding that the rights of passengers will always be protected.
He used the opportunity to reveal that the coming International Civil Organisation (ICAO) universal audit programme continuous monitoring approach audit comes up between March 11th and 22nd, 2024.
The audit, the DG said, is to assess Nigeria’s security and oversight systems.
