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 to accumulated debts owed the regulatory authority by the affected airlines.

NCAA in an internal memo, dated May 22, 2026, issued by its Director, Finance and Accounts, Olufemi Odukoya and copied different directorates – 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, said the above-mentioned 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.

The memo read in part: “The DGCA has directed that no directorate should render any service to the above airlines without financial clearance from the Director of Finance & Accounts.

“This is for your information and our strict compliance, please.”

Commenting on the directive, aviation expert, Alex Nwuba, 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 safe it.

Nwuba also said that the agency’s move 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 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.

He said: “It sounded like it’s just a pressure mode because clearly if the government intended to ban airlines, they have a challenge when they ban the most important and credible airlines on their list. So, if they ban those airlines, who will they leave?

“So, it is not the motive of the NCAA to close down the industry, rather it may be an attempt to force them to the table to have a conversation.

“The implication is damning because it calls to question the veracity of the credibility of the largest and the most credible airlines. When you see the names of Air Peace and Ibom Air on that list, it is not that these are secondary industry players in the market.”

Nwuba observed 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 called on 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 further called on the NCAA to strengthen its monitoring mechanisms to prevent debt accumulation from reaching crisis states.

However, efforts to get reactions from most of the affected airlines proved abortive as they did not respond to messages from The Guardian.

However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), United Nigeria Airlines, Chibuike Oluka, said the management of the carrier was meeting with the NCAA.

He said: “Our team is meeting with the NCAA and would provide update after their meeting.”

Also, none of the affected airlines had issued a press statement on the development as of the time of filing this report.