The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily suspended enforcement of its controversial “No Pay, No Service” directive against domestic airlines indebted to the regulator, citing operational pressures facing the aviation industry.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, said the decision followed consultations with stakeholders and a review of challenges affecting airline operations, particularly the rising cost of aviation fuel.

The suspension means affected airlines will continue to receive regulatory and administrative services despite outstanding statutory remittances owed to the authority.

Najomo, however, stressed that the measure does not amount to a waiver or cancellation of the debts.

“All affected operators remain fully responsible for the settlement of their statutory debts,” he said.

The NCAA had earlier issued an internal memo dated May 22 directing its departments to suspend services to 11 domestic carriers over unpaid statutory charges. The operators placed on the updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list included Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Umza Air, NG Eagle, Max Air, Caverton Helicopters, Overland Airways, Rano Air and ValueJet.

The directive had instructed NCAA departments to withhold services from the airlines until they either cleared their debts or agreed to repayment arrangements.

According to Najomo, the Federal Government had already introduced relief measures to support struggling operators. He noted that President Bola Tinubu approved a 30 per cent discount on outstanding fees owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies, including the NCAA, as part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising Jet A1 fuel prices.

He described the intervention as part of wider efforts to maintain stability in Nigeria’s aviation sector while avoiding disruptions to passenger and cargo operations.

Najomo also defended the importance of the five per cent Ticket and Cargo Sales Charge (TSC), describing it as a statutory levy established under the Civil Aviation Act and embedded in the cost of tickets and cargo services.

He said airlines merely collect the charge on behalf of the aviation system and are required to remit it to the NCAA.

“It is not a part of operating profit or revenue for the collecting airline, and must therefore not be treated as such,” he said.

According to the NCAA boss, the remittances are shared among the regulator and other aviation service providers responsible for maintaining safe and internationally compliant aviation operations.

He added that the NCAA operates on a cost-recovery basis and does not receive direct Federal Government funding for its routine regulatory responsibilities, making compliance with statutory remittances essential to sustaining oversight and safety functions.

The regulator said the temporary suspension of the enforcement directive reflects a balancing act between debt recovery and preserving operational stability within the aviation industry.