Reps Demand Recovery of N18.98bn from Foreign Airlines

The House of Representatives, through its Committee on Finance, has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to recover N18.98 billion owed by foreign airlines operating in Nigeria within two weeks. The directive was issued during a session where FAAN's Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, presented the outstanding debts of various international carriers, including Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, and British Airways.

Lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the growing debt profile and questioned why airlines were allowed to accumulate such liabilities despite a stipulated two-week payment window. Kuku explained that international airline payments often face delays due to the global clearing system operated by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The committee demanded that FAAN provide detailed documentation on the debtor airlines and warned that failure to clear debts would lead to accountability measures. They emphasized the need for stricter enforcement to prevent further accumulation of debt, highlighting that airlines exceeding 90 days of debt should face stronger actions.