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Nigerian Aviation Unions Give Airlines Seven-Day Ultimatum, Threaten Shutdown Over Ticket Sales Levy
Nigerian Aviation Unions Give Airlines Seven-Day Ultimatum, Threaten Shutdown Over Ticket Sales Levy
NEWS
The Nigerian Record
7/29/20262 min read
Organised labour in Nigeria's aviation sector under the aegis of Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), has threatened to shut down the operations of airlines and other organisations accused of failing to remit statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSC), issuing them a final seven-day ultimatum to clear their debts.
The warning was contained in a joint statement issued by the unions which accused defaulting operators of starving key aviation agencies of funds required to maintain safety standards and support workers' welfare.
According to the unions, the fresh notice followed the expiration of an earlier 14-day ultimatum issued on July 8, which elapsed on July 23 without any meaningful compliance from the affected airline operators and other organisations.
The five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy imposed on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria.
The funds are expected to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and subsequently distributed among aviation agencies to finance regulatory activities and other operational responsibilities.
The unions noted that although airlines deduct the levy from ticket sales, several operators have allegedly failed to remit the money as required by law.
They also recalled that the Airline Operators of Nigeria had previously collected the charge on behalf of the aviation authorities before announcing it would no longer continue with the arrangement.
In the joint statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions condemned what they described as deliberate refusal by defaulting operators to comply with the law.
"Our earlier 14-day ultimatum has expired, and regrettably, willful non-compliance has been recorded," the unions said.
"The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe, while the conditions of service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge."
The unions argued that the persistent failure to remit the statutory deductions has weakened the financial capacity of aviation agencies and undermined the welfare of aviation workers.
They warned that the situation poses serious implications for aviation safety and national security, insisting that underfunded agencies could struggle to effectively discharge their regulatory and operational responsibilities.
"This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk," the unions added.
The unions maintained that they would no longer tolerate what they described as actions capable of compromising the country's aviation sector, declaring that every organisation owing the Ticket Sales Charge must settle its obligations within seven days.
They warned that failure to comply would trigger industrial action, including picketing of the premises of defaulting airline operators and other indebted organisations across the country.
"We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised. We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises," the unions said.