Nigeria suspends no pay, no service rule for 11 airlines

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily suspended its enforcement of a no pay, no service directive against 11 domestic airlines with outstanding statutory remittances, citing the need to maintain operational stability in the aviation sector amid rising fuel costs.

The suspension, announced on Sunday by the Director General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, follows extensive consultations within the industry and a review of current operating realities. The directive had been issued in an internal memo dated May 22, instructing all NCAA directorates and regional offices to withhold regulatory and administrative services from the affected operators until they obtained financial clearance. Airlines placed on the list included Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air, and ValueJet.

The NCAA said the decision to suspend enforcement was driven by the rising cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel, which has placed significant financial pressure on domestic carriers and threatened overall sector stability. The authority stressed that the suspension does not represent a cancellation, waiver, or...