The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has distanced itself from recent comments by the association’s national leadership on the proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) sharing formula.
The chapter said it was neither consulted nor represented in the position issued by the national leadership, insisting that the statement did not reflect the views of its members.
In a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Agunloye Fredrick, on Thursday, the NCAA chapter said the publication attributed to the NAAE National President could not be regarded as the collective position of members across the aviation industry.
“The attention of the NCAA Chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE) has been drawn to recent media publications credited to the National President of NAAE regarding the proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) sharing formula,” the communiqué stated.
“While we acknowledge the right of every professional body to advocate for the welfare and operational sustainability of its members and institutions, we wish to state clearly that the position presented in the publication does not represent the views of the NCAA Chapter of NAAE,” it added.
The chapter criticised the process leading to the statement, arguing that issues of national importance require wider consultation among members of the association.
It said members across aviation agencies should have been engaged before any public position was taken on the proposed amendment.
“Unfortunately, the NCAA Chapter was neither consulted nor carried along before the publication was made. At no time was our opinion sought on the proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge sharing formula,” the communiqué stated.
The engineers subsequently dissociated themselves from the publication, saying it should not be interpreted as the collective position of all NAAE members.
The NCAA chapter explained that the Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected from airline passengers and distributed among aviation agencies because each institution performs critical roles in ensuring safety, security and efficiency within the sector.
According to the communiqué, the NCAA relies significantly on its share of the TSC because it does not operate airports, provide air navigation services or generate substantial commercial revenue.
The chapter said the funds support key regulatory responsibilities, including the certification and licensing of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, maintenance organisations and aviation training institutions.
It added that the revenue is also used for safety surveillance, economic regulation, consumer protection, accident prevention, implementation of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, inspector training, cybersecurity, information technology infrastructure and procurement of specialised oversight equipment.
The engineers further stated that the funds enable Nigeria to meet financial obligations to international aviation bodies, including ICAO, the African Civil Aviation Commission and the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation.
The chapter warned that reducing the NCAA’s share of the TSC could weaken aviation safety regulation and negatively affect industry oversight.
It listed possible consequences to include fewer safety inspections, delays in certification and licensing processes, reduced training opportunities for aviation safety inspectors, inability to maintain specialised oversight equipment and possible challenges in meeting ICAO safety requirements.
Other risks highlighted include reduced monitoring of airlines, airports and aviation service providers, slower responses to safety concerns, possible deficiencies during ICAO safety audits and a decline in international confidence in Nigeria’s aviation safety system.
“A strong regulator remains the foundation of every safe aviation system,” the communiqué stated.
The chapter added that weakening the regulator through reduced funding would ultimately affect the entire aviation industry.
While acknowledging the funding requirements of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the NCAA engineers said improving one agency should not come at the expense of another.
The group said all aviation institutions require sustainable funding solutions that would allow them to effectively perform their statutory responsibilities.
“The issue before the aviation industry should not be viewed as a competition among agencies. Rather, stakeholders should collectively seek sustainable funding solutions capable of supporting all aviation institutions without compromising their statutory responsibilities,” the communiqué stated.
The NCAA chapter called for broader consultation, constructive dialogue and evidence-based engagement before decisions are made on aviation policies.
The development comes amid ongoing debate over a proposed amendment to the sharing formula for the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge and Cargo Sales Charge.
Under the current arrangement, the NCAA receives 56 per cent of the revenue, while NAMA gets 22 per cent, with the remaining portion distributed among the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.
A bill currently before the National Assembly seeks to reduce the NCAA’s allocation while increasing NAMA’s share of the aviation levy.
