The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers has distanced itself from recent comments by the association’s national leadership on the proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge sharing formula, saying it was neither consulted nor represented in the position.
In a communiqué signed by its Chairman, Agunloye Fredrick, on Thursday, the NCAA chapter said the publication attributed to the National President of NAAE did not reflect the views of its members.
“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 faulted the process leading to the position, saying members across aviation agencies ought to have been consulted before any public statement was issued.
“As a national association with members spread across various aviation agencies, it is expected that matters of such national importance receive broad consultation before any public position is adopted.
“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.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from the publication and respectfully state that it should not be interpreted as the collective position of all NAAE members across the aviation industry,” it added.
The engineers stressed that the Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected from airline passengers and shared among aviation agencies because each plays a unique role in ensuring aviation safety, security and efficiency.
They noted that the NCAA, as the industry’s economic and safety regulator, depends substantially on its allocation from the TSC because it does not operate airports, provide air navigation services or generate significant commercial revenue.
According to the communiqué, the funds are used to support certification and licensing of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, maintenance organisations and aviation training organisations, as well as safety surveillance, economic regulation, consumer protection, accident prevention, implementation of International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, inspector training, acquisition of specialised oversight equipment, information technology infrastructure, cybersecurity and other regulatory activities.
The chapter added that the revenue also enables the authority to meet Nigeria’s financial obligations to international aviation organisations, including the ICAO, the African Civil Aviation Commission and the Banjul Accord Group Aviation Safety Oversight Organisation.
The communiqué warned that reducing the NCAA’s share of the TSC would undermine aviation safety oversight and regulatory effectiveness.
