Okonkwo Defends Airlines Against TSC Debt Allegations

Obiora Okonkwo, the executive chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, addressed allegations regarding domestic airlines' failure to remit the five percent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Speaking at the 30th annual conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, Okonkwo asserted that airlines had been compliant with NCAA until February 2023.

He attributed the emergence of payment difficulties to increased aviation fuel costs, which rose to N3,300 due to the US-Iran crisis. Okonkwo noted that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) first raised concerns about regulatory charges during this downturn.

Following a presidential waiver of 30 percent on charges, airlines developed a structured repayment framework with NCAA. Okonkwo stated that United Nigeria Airlines established a joint account with NCAA to facilitate payments and maintained compliance with the agreed payment plan until labor union issues arose.