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Tag: NCAA

  • No going back on automation of payment systems by airlines – NCAA

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says there is no going back on its earlier directive on automation of remittance of the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charges (TSC/CSC).

    Mr Sam Adurogboye, the General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA said on Tuesday that any airline that failed to comply would be viewed seriously by the regulatory authority.

    He said the airlines were presently indebted to NCAA to the tune of N15 billion.

    “For the purpose of clarity, NCAA wishes to state that the five per cent ticket and cargo sales charges are revenue accruable to the aviation agencies through NCAA.

    “This is contained in Part V Section 12(1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006.

    “This section merely mandates the airlines to collect the charges paid by the passengers on behalf of NCAA and remit same appropriately and in real time which have not been so,’’ Adurogboye said.

    According to him, there is no ambiguity with regard to the components of the billing of the charges.

    “Part 18.12.4. of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs 2015) clearly provides that the five per cent air ticket sales charge shall be based on the total cost of travel paid by passengers to the airline.

    “This shall be the cost of ticket inclusive of fuel surcharge or any other charge added to the total cost of travel by the airline exclusive of government Value Added Tax or any other tax that may be imposed by government from time to time,’’ he said.

    Adurogboye said for the avoidance of doubt, all airline operators should be guided by Part 18.12.5.

    “The section provides that all domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria shall forward to the authority through an electronic platform provided by the authority all relevant documents.

    “The documents include flown coupons, passenger or cargo manifests, air waybills, load sheets, clients’ service invoices and other documents necessary for accurate billing within 48 hours after each flight.’’

    The NCAA spokesperson said in realisation of this, the Federal Government hadin 2011 approved the introduction of Aviation Revenue Automation Project (ARAP) for revenue collection.

    He said ARAP was set up to aid data integrity, transparency, transaction accountability, controls and revenue assurance to the authority at no cost to the operators.

    “To facilitate easy and seamless remittance therefore, Part 18.12.6. says all Nigerian licensed airlines shall join the IATA/BSP for the purpose of remittance of five per cent sales charges, and shall execute a contract to that effect.

    “However, the domestic airlines have not joined the International Air Transport Association/Billing Settlement Plan (IATA/BSP).

    “Therefore, the ARAP is an alternate means of compliance to smooth remittance provided by the authority in line with Federal Government’s directive.’’

    He said it was pertinent to note that NCAA was an autonomous regulatory agency which continues to remain solvent by cost recovery in line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

    Adurogboye said this could only be derived from the five per cent ticket and cargo sales charges statutorily.

    He noted that the directive to automate covers both domestic and foreign airlines, adding that the foreign airlines had complied fully by remitting their collections through the IATA/BSP.

    “On the call for review, this is definitely out of the purview of the airlines.

    “Any review should be at the behest of the NCAA using Part 18.12.3, which states that the authority may review the five per cent air ticket, contract, charter and cargo sales charge from time to time in consultation with stakeholders.

    “We therefore wish to state that in spite of the astronomical cost of operation, the authority has never carried out a review since inception. This is to encourage sustained and increased patronage for the industry.’’

    Adurogboye, however, assured the airline operators that the authority was looking into all the issues raised in their letter.

    He urged them to ensure adequate compliance with the automation and remit their collection as appropriate.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had on Monday called for the suspension of the automation of the remittance system.

    The operators said the process should be put on hold until the parameters which constitute the statutory five per cent TSC/CSC were clearly and properly defined.

     

  • FG recalls sacked NCAA directors

    FG recalls sacked NCAA directors

    The Federal Government has recalled two out of the nine directors who were sacked from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Friday.

    The duo are Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi,Director of Consumer Protection, and Capt. Ayodele Sasegbon, Director of General Aviation.

    Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, confirmed the development to the newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.

    “I can confirm that two of the directors, Abdullahi and Sasegbon have been recalled and their sack rescinded, ” he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the government, through the Ministry of Transportation, had on Friday sacked the duo and other directors in the aviation regulatory agency with immediate effect.

    The directors affected by the purge were Alhaji Salawu Ozigi (Director of Finance and Accounts), Dr Joyce Nkemakolam (Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards) and Mr Aba Ejembi (Director of Administration).

    Others are Mr Emmanuel Ogunbami (Director of Licensing), Mr Benedict Adeyileka (Director of Airworthiness), Mr Justus Wariya (Director of Air Transport Regulation) and Mr Austin-Amadi Ifeanyi (Director of Human Resources).

    The affected directors were immediately ordered to handover to their next subordinate who will in the interim take charge of the activities in their directorates.

    It will be recalled that the government had on Oct. 12,2016 sacked or demoted 22 directors and general managers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The restructuring was based on the recommendations of the Presidential Committee chaired by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, had said the restructuring would be extended to the NCAA and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency which were also currently over-bloated.

     

    NAN

  • FG fires 10 NCAA Directors

    FG fires 10 NCAA Directors

    The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Transport, on Friday approved the sack of all the directors in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), with immediate effect.

    Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, confirmed the development to the newsmen in Lagos.

    “It is true that the directors have been disengaged but I don’t have details of the reasons given for the action by the ministry,” he said.

    A total of 10 directors were sacked after the approval was given to the ministry by the government.

    The directors affected by the purge were: Alhaji Salawu Ozigi (Director of Finance and Accounts), Dr Joyce Nkemakolam (Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards), Mr Aba Ejembi (Director of Administration) and Mr Emmanuel Ogunbami (Director of Licensing).

    Others are: Mr Benedict Adeyileka (Director of Airworthiness), Mr Justus Wariya (Director of Air Transport Regulation), Alhaji Adamu Abdullahi (Director of Consumer Protection), Capt. Ayodele Sasegbon (Director of General Aviation), and Mr Austin-Amadi Ifeanyi (Director of Human Resources).

    The affected directors were immediately ordered to handover to the next in command in their various directorates, who will in the interim take charge of activities in their directorates.

    With the sack of the directors, it is only the Director-General, Capt. Muhtar Usman that remains in the saddle of the regulatory agency.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the government had on Oct. 12, 2016 sacked and demoted 22 directors and general managers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The restructuring was based on the recommendations of the Presidential Committee chaired by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, had said the restructuring would be extended to the NCAA and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) which were also currently overbloated.

  • Safety abuse: NCAA slams N33.5m fine on First Nation, pilot

    Safety abuse: NCAA slams N33.5m fine on First Nation, pilot

    …Says we’ll appeal the fine

    For violating air safety regulations, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA has slammed N33.5m fine on a pilot and management of the First Nation airline.

    The NCAA said on Sunday that it had through a letter of sanction conveying the penalties, ordered the airline to pay N32m, while the pilot in charge of the affected aircraft would pay N1.5m.

    Stating why it slammed the fine on the airline, the NCAA said it discovered during a ramp inspection on First Nation’s Airbus A319 aircraft with registration mark 5N-FNE at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, that the pilot was not in possession of a current medical certificate and neither was it readily accessible.

    It added that a letter of investigation was sent to the airline and the pilot, and while the pilot admitted violating the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, the airline demonstrated lack of thorough knowledge of the requirements of the regulations.

    The NCAA said in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye,

    In a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, the NCAA said: “Therefore, the airline has contravened the regulations by allowing a flight crew member to be rostered to operate a total of 16 scheduled flights on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th of November, 2016. These operations were carried out while his medical certificate had expired since the 1st of November, 2016, thereby rendering his pilot licence subsequently invalid from that date.

    “In the light of these, the airline is hereby sanctioned in accordance with IS 1.3.3 (14), while the pilot suffered a similar fate in line with IS 1.3.3(11) (15) (e), in lieu of suspension under IS 1.3.3(11) (15) (a) of the Nig.CARs 2015. On this strength, the airline is required to pay a total sum of N32m, while the pilot will pay N1.5m, being moderate civil penalty for the violation.”

    The NCAA said the fine must be paid within seven days of receipt of the letter conveying the decision, and urged other airlines to acquaint themselves properly with the NCARs to guide their operations as violation would be viewed seriously.

    However, in a statement signed by Rasheed Yusuf, on behalf of First Nation Airways, the airline said it had filed an appeal against the sanctions in accordance with the requirements of the Nig.CARs 1.10.

    The statement reads in part, “It is our position that on the day that the said flight was ramp inspected, the captain had a valid medical licence. We have also drawn the NCAA’s attention to the need to address the bureaucracy associated with the general licence and medical renewal process with the authority. We will cooperate with the NCAA in working to improve the current challenges with respect to licence renewal.

    “The airline admits no wrong doing and despite this position considers the level of financial fine arbitrary and at variance with the levels set out in the relevant section of the Nig.CARs. The essence of Nig.CARs is corrective rather than cause airlines injury, and we will be working the appeal and review of the sanction with the NCAA.

    “First Nation is committed to best industry practice and respect for regulations, and take safety seriously. Our high safety standard is attested by the fact that the airline is IATA-IOSA certified, and is the first airline to achieve IOSA certification among the ten10 Africa airlines selected by IATA-ATF in 2014.”

  • Baggage delay: Arik Air yet to pay NCAA N6m fine

    Baggage delay: Arik Air yet to pay NCAA N6m fine

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that Arik Air Ltd. has not paid the N6 million fine imposed on the airline for contravening the provisions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).

    The General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Mr.Sam Adurogboye, disclosed this on Friday in Lagos.

    The NCAA had on Dec. 27, ordered Arik Air to pay the sum for violating Part 19.7.2 and 19.17.2.1 (ii) of the Nig.CARs 2015.

    The NCAA also ordered the airline to pay its passengers, whose baggage were delayed on the London to Lagos route between Dec. 2 and Dec.4, $150 each as compensation.

    It was directed that the N6 million fine must be paid within seven days of receipt of the letter, while the $150 compensation to the passengers must be made within 30 days.

    Adurogboye said that the airline had not complied with the sanctions.

    “The NCAA has done its part in sanctioning the airline in accordance with international civil aviation rules and regulations.

    “However, Arik Air has a right to appeal against the sanctions and I am sure that they have done that and we have to wait until the determination of the appeal before taking any further action,’’ the NCAA spokesman said.

    Adurogboye also said that no formal complaint had been made to the NCAA concerning the recent incident involving some aggrieved passengers and a staff of Arik Air at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    According to him, the NCAA is only concerned with regulating civil aviation and has no security outfit to prevent such incidents.

    “We only appeal to aggrieved passengers not to take the law into their own hands.

    “There are various security organizations at the airport that are responsible for that but the duty of the NCAA remains that of air safety,’’ he said.

     

  • Breaking: ‘Arik to pay N6m fine over delay of passengers luggage’

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has fined Arik Air N6m over delay and inability of the airline to ferry passengers luggage from London to Lagos from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of December, 2016.

    The airline was also directed to pay each affected passenger, the sum of $150 as compensation for inconveniences suffered as a result of the delayed arrival of their luggage, within 30 days of the date of the letter.

    The NCAA disclosed the sanction in a statement on Tuesday by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye.

    The agency explained that it had, in a Letter of Sanction with reference no.NCAA/DG/CSLA/RM/1-06/16/439 dated 22nd December, 2016, determined that Arik Air Limited was in violation of Part 19.7.2 and 19.17.2.1 (ii) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015.

    It added that the airline flouted its orders to freight all backlog of short-landed luggage to Lagos within 48 hours, which was given during a meeting on December 6, 2016, which was duly attended by the airlines’ representative.

    “Similarly, the carrier declined to offer care and compensation to the affected passengers which were unanimously agreed for $150.

    In addition, the airline did not inform the passengers at the soonest practicable time that their checked-in baggage would be off-loaded as required by Part 19.7.2 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs),2015,” the NCAA said.

     

  • NCAA gives Arik Air 24-hour ultimatum to return passengers’ luggage

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Wednesday directed Arik Air to return all delayed baggage of its passengers from London to Lagos within the next 24 hours.

    The authority also directed the airline to compensate the affected passengers with $150 each for their troubles.

    The directive was issued by Mr Adamu Abdullahi, Director, Consumer Complaints Department, NCAA.

    Recall that Arik Air and no fewer than 40 passengers have been at loggerheads over the non-arrival of their baggage, five days after their flight landed in Nigeria.

    The aggrieved passengers had on Tuesday disrupted the airline’s operations and also allegedly damaged its check-in counter at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Addressing the passengers, Abdullahi appealed to them to remain calm as both Arik Air and the aviation authorities were working towards resolving the issue.

    In his words: “NCAA has directed Arik Air to pay each and every passenger a compensation of $150 each in line with civil aviation rules and regulations in Nigeria.

    “We have sent the letter to the airline and it also contains a directive that every bag must be here within the next 24 hours.

    “A directive is a directive and we will hold Arik Air management responsible, and I can assure you that they will abide by the directive, “he said.

    Abdullahi advised them against taking the laws into their own hands, stressing that there are laid down procedures to be followed in resolving such issues.

    Also speaking, Mr Saleh Dunoma, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), urged those who needed medical attention to visit the FAAN clinic within the airport.

    Dunoma said the doctors had been directed to issue prescription drugs to passengers whose medications had yet to arrive the country due to the delay.

    Speaking on behalf of the airline, its Associate Vice President, Ground Operations Department, Mr Femi Kukoyi, apologised to the passengers for the inconvenience caused by the incident.

    Kukoyi said the airline had to charter an aircraft which brought some of the baggage to Lagos on Wednesday morning because the passengers prevented it from operating its A330 aircraft on Tuesday.

    He assured them that an aircraft was en-route Lagos from London and would arrive with about 300 bags by 7.pm while the remaining would be brought in by another of its aircraft by 5.am on Thursday.

    On the issue of compensation, he said Arik Air would attend to them on an individual basis and expressed optimism that everything would be resolved amicably.

    Two of the passengers who spoke to NAN, Mr Ifeanyi Uchendu and Mr Johnson Agwu, berated the airline for the shabby treatment of the passengers.

    According to them, the airline had earlier promised them that their bags would arrive latest on Tuesday and also they would receive compensation of N50,000. but failed to keep to its words.