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.
The reason for the ‘No-Pay-No-Service’ directive by the NCAA was not immediately clear, but this may not be unconnected with the accumulated debts owed to the regulatory authority by the affected airlines.
The NCAA in an internal memo dated 22 May 2026, by its Director, Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya, and copied different directorates, including 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 and obtained by The Guardian, stated that the airlines should not be rendered services without financial clearance from the Director of Finance & Accounts.
The Director-General, Civil Aviation (DGCA), was also copied in the letter.
Meanwhile, an aviation expert, Alex Nwuba, while commenting on the directive, said the move was a pressure tactic by the NCAA, rather than a genuine attempt to shut down airline operations.
He wondered why the NCAA attempted to ban the “most important and credible airlines on its list, stressing that the situation would collapse the industry, rather than save it.
Nwuba also said that the agency’s move had raised concerns over the credibility and financial health of some of the country’s operating airlines, particularly Air Peace and Ibom Air, which he said were among the dominant players in the domestic aviation market.
Besides, he maintained that the situation also exposed weaknesses in the NCAA’s economic regulatory oversight, stressing that the Authority should have acted earlier before the indebtedness escalated to a critical level.
The aviation expert said that a 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, therefore, urged the NCAA to adopt a more pragmatic and collaborative approach in addressing the issue, considering the economic pressures already confronting domestic operators like 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.
Efforts to get reactions from most of the affected airlines proved abortive as they did not respond to messages from The Guardian.
But the Public Relations Officer (PRO), United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Oluka, said the management of the carrier was meeting with the NCAA.
Also, none of the affected airlines had issued a press statement on the development as of the time of filing this report.
