the Federal Government, on Wednesday, disclosed it would penalise international airlines selling flight tickets in dollars.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, made the disclosure when addressing journalists shortly after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President, Muhammadu Buhari ,at the Aso Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Sirika, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has gathered that some foreign airlines operating in Nigeria have begun selling tickets in dollars, violating extant local laws.
In August, the International Air Transportation Association revealed that as of July 2022, the Nigerian government has withheld a total of $464 million dollars in revenues belonging to foreign airlines, disallowing repatriation.
But explaining the situation today, the aviation minister said some of the airlines have resorted to banning local travel agencies from accessing their websites for ticket purchases.
He revealed that the NCAA will sanction airlines found guilty of such acts as it undermines the country’s laws.