The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
says it will convene a meeting with foreign airline operators over their
alleged rejection of naira payment for flight tickets.
The General Manager, Public Relations,
NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye, on Tuesday confirmed that the NCAA had received
complaints from some passengers.
Adurogboye said that the passengers had the right to make payments in naira.
He noted that the industry was facing
some challenges, particularly the scarcity of foreign exchange and
inability of foreign airlines to repatriate their funds.
He said, “The truth is that the airlines
are beginning to reject the naira because of the special circumstances
that they have found themselves.
“In the BASA agreement, when you sell
your tickets, you should be able to repatriate your money; but
presently, the airlines are finding it hard to take their money home.
“So this problem has arisen now and we are looking at how to find a workable solution to it.
“We will be meeting with the airlines
soon because this situation is exceptional and we cannot just wield the
big stick against them.”
He said the Federal Government was also
taking measures to ameliorate the subsisting foreign exchange issues,
adding that the inability of the airlines to repatriate their money was
not deliberate.
Some airlines are allegedly accepting payments made only with credit cards or dollars.
The practice however, contravenes the
Central Bank of Nigeria’s prerequisite guiding cost of products or
services in Nigeria which directs that pricing of any product shall
continue to be in Naira only.
It is also contrary to the provisions of
the Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and other
countries as contained in Article 8 (4).
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