The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA has formed a partnership with the International Air Transport Association, IATA to restore sanity to travel agency operating in Nigeria.
To this end, any travel agency will be violating the extant Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs, if they are yet to register with the NCAA.
General Manager, Public Affairs NCAA, Sam Adurogboye says in a statement that the partnership had become necessary to instil sanity and orderliness into the operations of travel agencies in Nigeria and to provide a robust regulatory oversight on this sector of aviation downstream operations.
“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”.
He noted that IATA accredited agents have sixty (60) days within which to register and obtain NCAA’s Certificate of Registration, adding that the ultimatum commenced from 7th May, 2019.
“On the strength of this, IATA has been directed not to accredit forthwith any agency without NCAA’s Certificate of Registration”.
The NCAA says, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would continue to carry out its regulatory oversight in all facets of air transport operations with all the seriousness that was required.
Quoting the extant NCARs, he says,”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.
It is important to note that the fulfilment 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”.
