NCAA places 11 local airlines on ‘no-pay-no-service’ list amid debt burden

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has placed 11 domestic operators on an updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over outstanding financial obligations to the regulator.

Airlines named in the directive include Air Peace Limited, Ibom Air Limited, Arik Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air Limited, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air and ValueJet.

An internal memo dated May 22, 2026, directed all NCAA directorates to withhold services from affected airlines without financial clearance from the Directorate of Finance and Accounts.

The authority also insisted that the memo must be complied with.

Olufemi Odukoya, Director of Finance and Accounts, signed the memo circulated across the authority’s operational departments and regional offices.

Related News

The directive was also copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), regional managers and other senior officials within the authority.

The NCAA depends heavily on statutory charges and service-related payments from operators to fund inspections, oversight responsibilities, personnel obligations and other regulatory functions.

BusinessDay’s investigation shows that domestic airlines owe the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over N10 billion (and up to N19 billion plus $\$7.8$ million in unremitted funds).

These cumulative debts are primarily from the statutory five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) and Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) that airlines collect from passengers on behalf of the regulatory agencies.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.