AVIATIONNEWSTOP STORY

NCAA orders foreign airlines to sell tickets in Naira

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered all airlines selling flight tickets in dollars to desist forthwith, describing the action as a flagrant contravention of Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) “prerequisite guiding cost of products or services in Nigeria.”

The agency which said it had already written to the airlines on the directive, said the CBN circular issued on April 7, 2015, directed that pricing of any product shall continue to be in naira only and it is illegal to price or denominate the cost of any product or service (visible or invisible) in any foreign currency.”

NCAA said it was disturbed by reports that some foreign airlines were declining to accept Nigeria’s local currency – the naira as payment for tickets.

NCAA in a statement signed by its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye said: “Some foreign airlines have blatantly resorted to selling tickets only in foreign currency. This act is considered insensitive to passengers who have elected on their own volition to choose the airlines for their travel,”

NCAA added that such action was contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4).

“As a consequence of this action, the regulatory authority has written warning letters to such erring airlines to immediately comply with the provisions of BASA and CBN directive. Sales of tickets and services should henceforth be offered to air travellers in naira without further delay.

“However, the federal government of Nigeria has taken measures to ameliorate the subsisting foreign exchange issues,” NCAA said.

8 thoughts on “NCAA orders foreign airlines to sell tickets in Naira

Comments are closed.