Organised labour in Nigeria’s aviation industry has issued a fresh seven-day ultimatum to airlines and other organisations accused of failing to remit statutory Ticket Sales Charges (TSC), warning that continued non-compliance could lead to industrial action capable of disrupting flight operations nationwide.
The warning was jointly issued by the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), which accused defaulting operators of withholding funds meant to support the operations of aviation agencies and ensure safety across the sector.
According to the unions, the latest notice follows the expiration of an earlier 14-day deadline announced on July 8, which ended on July 23 without significant compliance from the affected organisations.
The unions explained that the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected on every airline ticket sold in Nigeria. By law, the funds are to be remitted to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which distributes them to relevant aviation agencies to finance regulatory oversight, operational activities and other statutory responsibilities.
They alleged that while airlines routinely collect the levy from passengers, several operators have failed to transfer the funds to the appropriate authorities as required.
The unions also recalled that the Airline Operators of Nigeria previously handled the collection of the charge on behalf of aviation agencies before later discontinuing the arrangement.
In the statement signed by ATSSSAN General Secretary, Frances Akinjole, and NUATE Deputy General Secretary, Odinaka Igbokwe, the unions described the continued failure to remit the charges as a deliberate violation of the law.
“Our earlier 14-day ultimatum has expired, and regrettably, willful non-compliance has been recorded,” the statement read.
“The aviation agencies remain starved of the required funds to keep our skies safe, while the conditions of service of our members in the various agencies continue to be jeopardised because of the non-remittance of the Ticket Sales Charge.”
The unions argued that the continued withholding of the statutory deductions has weakened the financial capacity of aviation agencies, limiting their ability to carry out critical regulatory functions while also affecting workers’ welfare.
They further warned that inadequate funding poses serious risks to aviation safety and national security, stressing that poorly funded agencies may struggle to effectively discharge their responsibilities.
“This unnecessary demotivation factor to the air transport worker is a security and safety risk,” the unions stated.
They insisted that all organisations owing the Ticket Sales Charge must settle their outstanding obligations within the next seven days or face industrial action.
According to the unions, failure to comply with the ultimatum will result in the picketing of the offices and operational facilities of defaulting airlines and other indebted organisations across the country.
“We can no longer helplessly fold our hands and allow the safety of our airspace to remain compromised. We hereby issue a seven-day notice to every TSC defaulter to remit the total debt owed to the agencies. Failure to do so will result in our unions taking concrete actions at their various premises,” the statement added.
