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By Faheem Lawal
The Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to domestic airlines demanding the immediate remittance of outstanding 5% Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) owed to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other regulatory agencies.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), and signed by the General Secretary of ATSSSAN, Frances Akinjole and the Deputy General Secretary of NUATE, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions gave the AON 14 days from the date of issue to settle all outstanding remittances in full and warned that failure to comply will leave the unions with no alternative but to ’employ every means necessary to protect the sector.’
The unions accused many carriers of failing to remit the statutory charge collected from passengers on their behalf, warning that the unpaid funds have grown into billions of naira and now threaten the financial stability of the agencie.
They said the situation is a direct threat to air safety, arguing that the agencies depend on the TSC to carry out their statutory functions effectively. They also stressed that the charge is not optional but a legal obligation rooted in the Civil Aviation Act and international standards, citing the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Safety Oversight Manual, which calls for stable and sustainable financing mechanisms for aviation regulators.
“It must be appreciated that TSC is not a profit, but resources meant to facilitate safe air. Hence, the Agencies are mere cost recovery organisations.In view of the foregoing, the aviation unions hereby call on the management of airlines to remit, within the next fourteen (14) days, all outstanding Ticket Sales Charges in full compliance with their obligations, without further delay.
“Kindly note that 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 necessitated by the actions and inactions of the entities stifling the agencies of their required operational funds. We trust that affected airlines will treat this matter with the promptness it deserves and take the necessary steps to avert avoidable industrial comatose,” the unions stated.
As of press time, the AON had not issued a public response to the demand.
