By Lawani Mikairu

Lagos—The Federal Government yesterday gave all domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria January, 2017 deadline to automate their payment of charges to aviation agencies.

The measure is aimed at ending the airlines indebtedness to the agencies arising from the 5% Ticket Sales Charge/Cargo Sales Charge (TSC/CSC).

The aviation agencies have been battling with the airlines, especially domestic airlines, to reconcile and pay outstanding debts. This has resulted to legal battle between some of the operators and some  agencies.

Confirming this development, Mr Sam Adurogboye General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, said the automation option is being introduced to ensure transparency, accurate billing and prompt payments of charges due from the airlines to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in line with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations(NCARs) 2015, Vol.2, Part 18.12.5.

According to Adurogboye, the “Federal government  in a bid to put an end to airlines indebtedness to aviation agencies arising from the 5% Ticket Sales Charge/Cargo Sales Charge(TSC/CSC) has given 1st January 2017 as the deadline for the operators to automate their remittance/ payment systems forthwith.

“The automation is being introduced to ensure transparency, accurate billing and prompt payments of charges due from the airlines to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in line with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations(NCARs) 2015, Vol.2, Part 18.12.5.

“NCARs 2015 states thus; “all domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria shall forward to the Authority through an electronic platform provided by the authority, all relevant documents such as flown coupons, passenger or cargo manifest, air way bills, load sheets, clients’ service invoices and other documents necessary for accurate billing within forty – eight (48) hours after each flight”.

“It is pertinent to point out that this directive has the full backing of the Federal Government for full implementation and strict compliance.

“In as much as it is not the plan of the authority to regulate any airline out of existence,NCAA would no longer tolerate non remittance of its dues again as such a conducted would be viewed seriously.”