The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has given a 14-day ultimatum to airlines who failed to remit their ticket sales charge (TSC) and cargo sales charges (CSC).

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Fan Ndubuoke,  the authority read the riot act to the affected airlines which had demonstrated apathy in remitting the 5 per cent TSC and CSC to the authority and advised them to pay up or face public disgrace as it plans to publish the names of the debtors, their owners, and their level of indebtedness.

The 14-day ultimatum is part of a final notice to the airline operators and the aviation authority said that failure to comply with the directive shall make it enforce the provisions of Section 27 (3) of the Civil Aviation Act.

He said these measures would be taken in furtherance to the federal government’s directives on recovery of public debt, adding that the offending airlines have failed to offset the accumulated debts despite several appeals, reconciliation meetings, visits and reminders.

“The NCAA wishes to reiterate to the airlines that section 12 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 provides that “there shall continue to be a five per cent air ticket contract, charter and cargo sales charge to be collected by the airlines and paid over to the authority. Importantly, the authority wishes to inform the general public that the five per cent ticket/cargo sales charge represents charges collected at source from the travelling public by airlines on behalf of the civil aviation agencies,” he said.

Ndubuoke warned that non-remittance as and at when it is due is tantamount to a breach of trust and a violation of the above provision, emphasising that the authority is issuing the ultimatum to the operators who have collected but failed to remit same to the authority.