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 the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), demanding the immediate remittance of all outstanding 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) collected on behalf of aviation agencies or face industrial action.
The warning was contained in a joint statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Odinaka Igbokwe.
The unions expressed grave concern over what they described as the persistent failure of many airlines operating in Nigeria to remit the statutory 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge collected on behalf of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and other aviation agencies.
According to them, the outstanding remittances have accumulated over several months and years, amounting to several billions of naira, thereby weakening the revenue base of the agencies responsible for regulating and ensuring the safety of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
They said the development has created avoidable financial constraints, limiting the agencies’ ability to effectively discharge their statutory responsibilities and threatening the smooth operation of the aviation sector.
“This is safety compromised”, the unions declared.
They stressed that the Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy established under Nigerian law and supported by the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), making its remittance a legal obligation rather than a discretionary payment.
The statement cited ICAO Document 9734 – Safety Oversight Manual (Parts A and B), which emphasises the need for a stable and sustainable source of funding for civil aviation authorities to effectively carry out their safety oversight functions.
The unions explained that airlines merely collect the charge on behalf of the aviation agencies and are legally required to remit the funds promptly in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Aviation Act and other applicable regulations.
They maintained that the continued withholding of the funds undermines the financial stability of the agencies, whose operations depend significantly on the statutory charges.
“The Ticket Sales Charge is not airline revenue or profit. It is a cost-recovery mechanism designed to fund aviation safety oversight and other statutory responsibilities of the agencies”, the statement noted.
ATSSSAN and NUATE warned that failure by the affected airlines to comply within the 14-day deadline would leave the unions with no option but to deploy every lawful means, including industrial action, to safeguard the aviation sector from operational disruptions arising from inadequate funding.
They urged all affected airlines to act swiftly by remitting the outstanding funds and avert what they described as an avoidable industrial crisis capable of disrupting Nigeria’s aviation industry.