NCAA Suspends Services to Air Peace, Ibom Air, Nine Others Over Debts

The NCAA has suspended services to 11 domestic airlines, including Air Peace and Ibom Air, over unpaid statutory charges owed to Nigeria’s aviation regulatory authority.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has directed all its directorates to suspend services to 11 domestic airlines over unpaid statutory charges owed to the regulatory agency.

The directive was contained in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, placing the affected carriers on the NCAA’s updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list.

According to the memo, all departments of the aviation authority have been instructed to withhold regulatory and administrative services from the airlines until they settle their debts or reach repayment agreements with the agency.

The dispute centres on the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge, statutory levies collected by airlines on behalf of the NCAA to fund aviation safety oversight, personnel training and economic regulation in the sector.

The memo, signed by the Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, was circulated to regional offices and copied to the Director-General of Civil Aviation and other senior officials.

Affected airlines 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.

“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.

Under the directive, the airlines could face disruptions in access to essential regulatory support and administrative approvals, a development that may affect operations if the debts remain unresolved.

The action has also raised concerns among industry stakeholders and passengers over the possibility of operational delays and broader implications for Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The NCAA has not publicly disclosed the total amount owed by the affected airlines, but industry observers say the move signals a stricter enforcement approach by the regulator toward financial compliance within the aviation industry.