The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has barred 11 Nigerian airlines, including Air Peace, Ibom Air, and ValueJet, from accessing regulatory services. Also affected by the sanction are Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, and Rano Air.
Reason for the Sanction
The reason for the 'No-Pay-No-Service' directive by the NCAA was not immediately clear, but this may be connected to accumulated debts owed to the regulatory authority by the affected airlines. The NCAA, in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, and issued by its Director of Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, stated that the airlines should not be rendered services without financial clearance from the Director of Finance and Accounts. The memo was copied to various directorates, including the Directorate of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Directorate of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS), Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS), Directorate of Air Transport Regulation (DATR), Directorate of Legal Services/Company Secretariat (DLS/CS), Regional Managers, and Regional Accountants. The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was also copied.
Industry Expert's Perspective
Aviation expert Alex Nwuba commented on the directive, describing it as a pressure tactic by the NCAA rather than a genuine attempt to shut down airline operations. He questioned why the NCAA targeted the most important and credible airlines on its list, stressing that the situation could collapse the industry instead of saving it. Nwuba also noted that the move raised concerns over the credibility and financial health of some of the country's operating airlines, particularly Air Peace and Ibom Air, which are dominant players in the domestic aviation market. Furthermore, he maintained that the situation exposed weaknesses in the NCAA's economic regulatory oversight, emphasizing that the authority should have acted earlier before the indebtedness escalated to a critical level.
The aviation expert warned that strict enforcement of the sanctions could disrupt important regulatory processes, such as the renewal of pilots' and engineers' licences, potentially creating operational and safety concerns within the industry. He urged the NCAA to adopt a more pragmatic and collaborative approach in addressing the issue, considering the economic pressures already confronting domestic operators, including high aviation fuel costs, airport charges, and ground handling fees. He also called on the NCAA to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms to prevent debt accumulation from reaching crisis states.
Airlines' Reactions
Efforts to get reactions from most of the affected airlines proved abortive, as they did not respond to messages from The Guardian. However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Oluka, said the management of the carrier was meeting with the NCAA. As of the time of filing this report, none of the affected airlines had issued a press statement on the development.
