NCAA Engineers Oppose Ticket Sales Charge Review

The NCAA chapter of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers has rejected a proposed review of the Ticket Sales Charge sharing formula, warning that weaker funding for the regulator could affect aviation safety oversight.

The chapter said it was not consulted before recent comments credited to the association’s national leadership on the proposed review. It said that position should not be treated as the collective view of all NAAE members across the aviation industry.

In a communiqué signed by its chairman, Agunloye Fredrick O., the NCAA chapter said the Ticket Sales Charge is a statutory levy collected from airline passengers and shared among aviation agencies.

The group argued that the NCAA depends on the charge to carry out regulatory work because it does not operate airports, provide navigation services or earn major commercial revenue like some other agencies.

It said the funding supports airline certification and licensing, safety inspections, surveillance, economic regulation, consumer protection and enforcement of aviation rules.

The chapter asked aviation stakeholders to avoid changes that could weaken the NCAA’s capacity to regulate the industry. It also called for wider consultation before any public position is adopted on the sharing formula.

Sources: Punch and Vanguard.