… Cautions IATA on registering agency with NCAA’s certificate.
All International Air Travel Association (IATA) accredited agents in
Nigeria have sixty (60) days within which to register and obtain
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)’s Certificate of
Registration, or face the full wrath of the law.
This is just as the NCAA has directed IATA not to accredit forthwith
any agency without NCAA’s Certificate of Registration.
The ultimatum which commenced from May 7, 2019 was given by to correct the notion that there was no legislation to the effect in Nigerian
Civil Aviation regulations (NCARs).
A statement by the spokesperson at NCAA, Sam Adurogboye said, “Any
travel agency operating in Nigeria and is yet to register with the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is clearly violating extant
Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations and have been given sixty (60)
days within which to register and obtain NCAA’s Certificate of
Registration.
“The controversy in certain quarters of absence of legislation concerning the registration of travel agencies is misguided. For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) confers power on NCAA to register and issue certificates to travel
agencies without which no travel agency shall operate in Nigeria.
“Part 18.9.1 (iii) of (Nig.CARs) unequivocally and incontrovertibly
states that no person shall undertake the business of travel agency in
Nigeria without obtaining a Certificate or License issued by the NCAA.
“As a corollary to this, Part 18.9.4.1 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation
Regulations (NCARs) 2015 states that all travel agencies shall
register with the Authority after fulfilling the necessary
requirements specified in IS18.9.1.2 (iii) to these regulations.
“The Civil Aviation Act. 2006, Part IX, Section 30 (4) (a) inter-alia
empowers the Authority to regulate, supervise and monitor the
activities of Travel and other Aviation Agents operating in Nigeria.
“To join the IATA BSP, Part 18.9.4.2. of the NCARs states that All
registered Travel Agencies shall join and trade on IATA BSP Platform,”
he argued.
He therefore, said that the fulfillment of the aforementioned
regulation is mandatory for IATA to accept a travel agency on its
Billing Settlement Plan (BSP).
“It is important to note that the fulfillment of the aforementioned
regulation Part 18.9.4.1 is a mandatory requirement for IATA to accept
a travel agency on its BSP platform. However, it is after registration
that a Travel Agent can commence business on the IATA BSP platform.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is therefore taking
concerted steps to instil sanity and orderliness into the operations
of travel agencies in Nigeria,” he said.
NCAA, nevertheless, promised to collaborate with IATA to provide a
robust regulatory oversight on this sector of aviation downstream
operations.
Insisting that all IATA accredited agents have sixty (60) days within
which to register and obtain NCAA’s Certificate of Registration, the
statement said the ultimatum commenced from May 7, 2019.
Meanwhile, IATA has been directed not to accredit forthwith any agency
without NCAA’s Certificate of Registration.
The regulatory authority, however, said it will continue to carry out
its regulatory oversight in all facets of air transport operations
with all the seriousness that is required.
