The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced plans to enforce stricter measures to address the growing issue of poor compliance with financial regulatory standards and obligations by airlines operating in the country.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, issued the warning at the 2025 Civil Aviation Cost Recovery Optimization Stakeholders’ Retreat held under the theme “Strengthening Collaboration for Revenue Optimization and Operational Efficiency.”

Najomo, who was represented by the Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Capt. Donald Spiff, condemned the persistent failure of some airlines to meet their financial obligations, describing the trend as a major threat to the stability of the aviation sector.

He revealed that the NCAA would introduce a Zero Debt Strategy beginning in January 2026, which will include mandatory Advance Payment Guarantees (APG) to address the rising indebtedness of airlines to the Authority.

According to Najomo, the new framework is designed to strengthen accountability, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure sustainable sectoral growth in alignment with the Federal Government’s economic agenda and the aviation minister’s strategic initiatives on revenue optimization and industry development.

The programme was coordinated by the NCAA’s Directorate of Finance and Accounts (DFA), led by Mr. Olufemi Odukoya, in collaboration with Javier Technologies Limited.