Dispute over airline finances escalates as NCAA engineers reject TSC audit.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers has publicly disassociated itself from recent comments made by the association's national leadership regarding the proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge sharing formula, citing a lack of consultation or representation.

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In a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Agunloye Fredrick, on Thursday, the NCAA chapter stated that the publication attributed to the National President of NAAE did not reflect the views of its members, emphasizing that every professional body has the right to advocate for its members' welfare and operational sustainability.

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The communiqué noted that the NCAA chapter was neither consulted nor carried along before the publication was made, and as a national association with members spread across various aviation agencies, it is expected that matters of such national importance receive broad consultation before any public position is adopted.

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The chapter faulted the process leading to the position, saying members across aviation agencies ought to have been consulted before any public statement was issued, and therefore dissociate themselves from the publication, stating that it should not be interpreted as the collective position of all NAAE members across the aviation industry.

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The engineers stressed that the Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected from airline passengers and shared among aviation agencies, as each plays a unique role in ensuring aviation safety, security, and efficiency, with the NCAA depending substantially on its allocation from the TSC.

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The funds are used to support certification and licensing of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, maintenance organisations, and aviation training organisations, as well as safety surveillance, economic regulation, consumer protection, accident prevention, and implementation of International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.

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According to the communiqué, the revenue also enables the authority to meet Nigeria's financial obligations to international aviation organisations, including the ICAO, the African Civil Aviation Commission, and the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation.

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The chapter warned that reducing the NCAA's share of the TSC would undermine aviation safety oversight and regulatory effectiveness, with possible consequences including reduced frequency of safety inspections and surveillance activities, delays in certification, licensing, and regulatory approvals.

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Other potential implications include reduced capacity for continuous training and requalification of aviation safety inspectors, inability to procure and maintain specialised oversight equipment, and weakening of safety oversight required under ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices.

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The communiqué further stated that a strong regulator remains the foundation of every safe aviation system, and effective regulation provides oversight over every operator, every airport, every air navigation service provider, and every aviation organisation.

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Weakening the regulator through reduced funding ultimately weakens the entire aviation industry, according to the chapter, which acknowledged the funding needs of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

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The chapter maintained that strengthening one aviation agency should not come at the expense of another, and fully recognises the importance of adequate funding for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

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However, the communiqué stated that strengthening one agency should never come at the expense of another agency whose statutory responsibility is to regulate, inspect, and enforce compliance across the entire aviation sector.

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The NCAA chapter urged stakeholders to pursue broader consultations and sustainable funding mechanisms for all aviation agencies, and to collectively seek sustainable funding solutions capable of supporting all aviation institutions without compromising their statutory responsibilities.

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The communiqué called on all stakeholders, including the leadership of the association, to embrace wider consultation, constructive dialogue, and evidence-based engagement before adopting public positions on matters of national aviation policy.

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The communiqué comes amid an ongoing debate within Nigeria's aviation industry over a proposed amendment to the sharing formula for the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge.

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Under the current arrangement, the NCAA receives 56 per cent of the pool, while the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency gets 22 per cent, with the balance shared among the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

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A bill before the National Assembly seeks to reduce the NCAA's share and increase NAMA's allocation, sparking the ongoing debate within the industry.