…as NCAA chapter breaks ranks with national body over ticket charge

The crisis engulfing Nigeria’s aviation unions is deepening over the controversies between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the 5 per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).

The NCAA Chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) yesterday distanced itself from its national, which had thrown its weight behind the call for the reduction of 5 per cent TSC accrued to the NCAA.

The national body earlier in the week, had urged the National Assembly to undertake a comprehensive review of the sharing formula for the 5 per cent TSC, saying that the current revenue allocation no longer reflected the operational realities and funding needs of Nigeria’s air navigation services.

Currently, the TSC is shared among five aviation agencies as follows: NCAA, 56 per cent; NAMA, 22 per cent; Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), 9 per cent; Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), 7 per cent and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) with 6 per cent.

However, proponents of NAMA wanted the sharing formula amended between it and NCAA.

They specifically called for NCAA’s shares from 56 per cent to be reduced to 40 per cent while increasing NAMA’s allocation from 22 per cent to 40 per cent.

Over 70 per cent of air traffic engineers are domiciled in NAMA, while the remaining 30 per cent is shared among other agencies and private organisations.

A communique issued in Lagos and signed by the Chairman, NAAE, NCAA Chapter, Fredrick Agunloye, said the Chapter was not consulted before its national leadership publicly advocated a review of the TSC sharing formula, stressing that the position did not reflect the views of its members.

Agunloye maintained that issues of such national importance required wide consultation among members spread across the aviation agencies before any official position was adopted.

The communique read in part: “We therefore dissociate ourselves from the publication and respectfully state that it should not be interpreted as the collective position of all NAAE members across the aviation Industry.

“The Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory charge collected from airline passengers and distributed among aviation agencies to enable them discharge their respective mandates.

“The sharing formula exists because every agency performs a distinct, but complementary role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient aviation system.”

According to the engineers, the NCAA, as Nigeria’s economic and safety regulator, relied heavily on its allocation from the TSC, stressing that unlike service providers like NAMA, the agency does not operate airports, provide air navigation services or generate substantial commercial revenue.

It said the funds support critical regulatory functions, including certification and licensing of airlines, airports, maintenance organisations, air navigation service providers and aviation training institutions, as well as continuous surveillance, safety audits, consumer protection, accident prevention programmes and enforcement of aviation regulations.

The chapter warned that reducing the NCAA’s share of the TSC would have far-reaching implications for the aviation sector.

It listed the likely consequences to include reduced safety inspections and surveillance, delays in certification and licensing, inadequate training and requalification of aviation safety inspectors, inability to procure critical oversight equipment and weaker compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices, among others.

While agreeing that NAMA and other government agencies face funding challenge, the NCAA chapter argued that strengthening one aviation agency should not come at the expense of another.

It urged stakeholders to pursue sustainable funding solutions capable of supporting all aviation agencies without compromising their statutory responsibilities.

“The NCAA Chapter of NAAE therefore calls on all stakeholders, including the leadership of our association, to embrace wider consultation, constructive dialogue and evidence-based engagement before adopting public positions on matters of national aviation policy,” the communique added.