Nigeria Travel Agents Petition Civil Aviation Authority Over Airlines’ Dollar Ticket Sales
The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agents (NANTA) has formally petitioned the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding what it calls an infringement on the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) by several international airlines selling tickets in foreign currency. The complaint was voiced during a stakeholders’ summit held on Tuesday at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport, gathering industry representatives to address pressing challenges facing Nigeria’s aviation sector.
The event, themed ‘Achieving Increased Adoption of Digital Technology in Air Travel Customer Complaint Management: The Regulatory Perspective,’ saw aviation experts and leadersexpress frustration over the rising number of international airlines accepting U.S. dollars for ticket sales, rather than Nigeria’s official naira currency. NANTA’s president, YinkaFolami, highlighted the petition, stating that the association has pressed the NCAA to intervene.
“We have taken the matter up with the NCAA and received assurances that they are looking into the issue,” Folami said, underscoring the association’s commitment to ensuring compliance with BASA, a treaty obliging most airlines to transact in naira.
Confirming the petition, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, affirmed that the regulatory body has received the letter from NANTA and is committed to addressing the issue promptly. He assured that “appropriate quarters will act on it very soon.”
A growing number of foreign carriers have allegedly disregarded BASA’s stipulations, with stakeholders voicing concerns over what they deem a lack of regulatory enforcement. While U.S. airlines benefit from an Open Skies agreement allowing transactions in dollars, other international carriers are required to sell tickets in naira for routes originating from Nigeria. The apparent inconsistency in enforcement has been a sore point among local travel agents.
The summit also addressed widespread complaints about inadequate compensation for passengers affected by delays, cancellations, and other service disruptions. Under the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023, airlines are legally required to compensate passengers for such inconveniences. Lawyer First Baba Isa, speaking on behalf of passengers, argued that airlines often neglect their obligations, particularly in cases involving physically challenged passengers. “I am currently handling seven cases in Nigerian courts against various carriers over poor treatment of disabled passengers,” Isa said, pressing airlines to honour their legal duty to compensate.
Industry participants included officials from the Nigeria Police, Immigration Service, Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and other relevant bodies, all united in calling for stricter enforcement of aviation standards and policies to safeguard passenger rights and uphold the country’s aviation agreements.
