The Acting Director- General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, with his entire management team, in an interaction with aviation journalists at the agency’s annex office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, admitted that there are numerous challenges facing the stability and growth of the industry, which needed the cooperation of everyone. The Nigerian aviation industry is riddled with a myriad of challenges, which require urgent attention from stakeholders, professionals and the government alike.
From poor infrastructure at most of the nation’s airports, airlines’ flight delays and cancellations, continuous drop of naira against major currencies, paucity of foreign exchange, inter-agency rivalry, airlines debts, inappropriate use of Air Operator Certificate (AOC), especially by private jet owners, the recent International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) report and the forthcoming ICAO security audit slated for March, the challenges are daunting.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by its Act, is saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the industry, addressing industry challenges and ensuring stability in the system.
To ensure total compliance to minimal standards and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and sustain safety in the system, NCAA as the apex regulator of civil aviation in Nigeria requires a topnotch Director-General, with industry experience and who has the political will to work the talk without minding whose ox is gored.
In tackling some of the industry challenges, Najomo, unveiled ‘NCAA Project 2024,’ which included: ‘simplified licensing process, intensified cost recovery, enhanced surveillance, intensified consumer protection, intensified consumer protection, empic change management & ICT and ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) Audit,’ among others.
According to him, these projects would help to reposition the sector and drive it in the right path. He also insisted the modus operandi must change.
For instance, Najomo explained that in a bid to address the humongous debts of airlines, the apex regulatory agency would impose a ‘no pay no service’ policy on all debtor operators.
He threatened that operators would no longer render services to these crops of airlines unless they clear their backlog of debts or schedule payment plans for their old debts.
He specifically said that the renewal of AOC would be tied to the payment of the debts by recalcitrant airlines, saying that this is one of the means by which old debts could be recovered from such carriers.
Though, Najomo did not mention the amount of money owed the agency by airlines, but the regulatory body had in January last year, put the total debts of the indigenous carriers at N19 billion and $7.8 million, accruing from the mandatory 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge/Cargo Sales Charge (TSC/CSC) to the coffers of the authority.
The New Civil Aviation Act 2023, had stipulated N5 million fine or two years jail sentences or both to any airline that refuses to remit the TSC/CSC collected from passengers on behalf of NCAA.
The New CAA 2022 Section 23(1) stated that there would be a 5% of airfare, contract, charter and cargo sales charge payable to the NCAA and this applies on all international and domestic air transportation originating in Nigeria, irrespective of place of sales, issuance of air ticket or execution of the contract of carriage.
The 5 per cent TSC/CSC is shared among five aviation agencies; NCAA, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) at different percentages.
The current financial challenge of the NCAA, he noted, was further compounded by the compulsory contribution of the agency to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), which was recently raised to 50 per cent from the hitherto 40 per cent by the Federal Government, hence, the renewed vigour for debt recovery.
Najomo was piqued by the poor treatment of air travellers by airlines as He insisted the travelling public deserved more from the country’s carriers.
He, however, refrained from blaming the airlines solely for the incessant flight delays and cancellations.