Travel agents kick against sale of tickets in dollars, petition NCAA

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has stated that some foreign airlines are still selling their tickets in dollars.

It has however petitioned the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to address the issue, insisting this was against the local law, which forbids dealing with foreign currencies for local transactions.

Daily Trust reports that Section 20(1) of the CBN Act 2007 states that the Naira is the sole legal tender in Nigeria. Section 20(5) states that it is an offense to refuse the Naira as a means of payment.

However, over time, there have been complaints against foreign airlines for selling their tickets in dollars.

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This has become rampant in the airline industry in recent times when foreign airlines had most of their funds trapped in Nigeria.

Speaking during a Consumer Protection National Stakeholders’ Summit, held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, representatives of NANTA led by its president confirmed that they had petitioned the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the issue.

A random check on the websites of some foreign airlines, especially American and European carriers, showed that their fares were displayed in dollars.

President of NANTA, Mr. Yinka Folami, who spoke at the forum convened by the NCAA noted that NANTA had already petitioned the regulatory agency on the violation, hoping that the regulatory agency would address the issue.

The summit, which was preceded by a roadshow around the MMIA vicinity to educate passengers on their rights was themed, ‘Achieving Increased Adoption of Digital Technology in Air Travel Customer Complaint Management: The Regulatory Perspective,’.

At the forum, airlines were advised to comply with Part 19 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2023 in passenger compensation.

Ag. Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, represented by the Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu said the summit became imperative in view of the rising passenger complaints against airlines.

“This is why, today, everybody will answer their name. We will probe each other, we will investigate, we will be brutally honest, and we will collaborate to fix the problems.

“Over the years, the problem with meetings like this one has been the lack of follow through. There’s been a lot of talk but no action. Under the leadership of Capt. Chris Najomo, today’s NCAA does not intend to become a mere statistic in the dustbin of history.

“We aim to, together with you all, splash colours on the canvass of history, and the best time to begin is today, if we have missed opportunities in the past,” he said.

Achimugu also confirmed the petition by the NANTA, assuring that the appropriate Directorate of the NCAA is handling it.

Baba Isa, a lawyer, in his keynote address, regretted that airlines, both local and international have continually treated air travellers without much deterrent.

He said: “Airlines should address the issue of refund to air travellers. There are no fewer than seven cases that I am attending to in the courts against some local and foreign carriers, especially the poor way they handle disabled passengers.

“It is essential to make the airlines accountable to air passengers in case of flight cancellations, delays and overbooking. Adequate compensation in line with the NCARs 2023 must be paid to the affected passengers.”

Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi, in his presentation, canvassed for investment in human capital through training, re-training, re-orientation and strict adherence to the industry recommended practices as set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Uriesi was represented at the occasion by Mrs. Amaka Echetabu, Director, Airline Services, Ibom Air.