The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has revealed that one domestic airline is indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N14bn, warning that the mounting liabilities are undermining the ability of aviation agencies to provide critical services despite the government’s efforts to ease the burden on operators.

Keyamo said the Federal Government had deliberately refrained from taking a hard approach against indebted airlines, opting instead to grant debt relief and negotiate repayment plans in recognition of the difficult operating environment facing the aviation industry.

Speaking during a recent interview on Channels Television, the minister disclosed that although the government had written off 30 per cent of the debts owed by operators, the outstanding debt remained substantial, particularly for the airline owing N14bn.

“On debt relief, operators are beginning to see the impact. We are not even moving hard on them because we tried to understand the situation, but right now, just like the way they say it, ‘eye on red’, just one of them is owing us N14 billion, and if you remove the 30 per cent the government gave, it’s still huge,” Keyamo said.

He explained that the debts have left aviation agencies struggling to perform their statutory responsibilities, stressing that while the government understands the financial challenges confronting airlines, operators must also meet their obligations.

According to the minister, the government recently met with airline operators and directed them to submit structured repayment schedules, a move that has already started yielding results.

He said, “Because of all these things, agencies can no longer perform their functions. We understand their plight, but the government too must have these revenues. These things cannot be free; they want it to be free, but it can’t be free. We built their airports, provided navigational services, power, and all. We are trying to understand them instead of being hard.

“Recently, I called a meeting and told them to make a schedule on how to pay, and in the last three weeks or so, many of them paid 10 per cent of their debt, and they are beginning to pay the rest little by little.”

The minister expressed optimism that the gradual repayment arrangement would help improve the financial health of aviation agencies while allowing airlines sufficient time to recover from the economic pressures affecting their operations.

Keyamo also described the unauthorised landing of a foreign-registered private jet on a concrete road near the Asaba Airport as a serious security breach, revealing that the pilots and crew remain in the custody of the Department of State Services as investigations continue.

The incident, which occurred about a month ago, sparked widespread public concern after the aircraft landed on a yet-to-be-completed concrete road instead of the airport runway.

According to the minister, the aircraft had been properly cleared by air traffic controllers to land on the runway, but the pilot ignored the instruction and chose to land outside the airport perimeter.

He explained, “The private jet incident was a security breach, and we are treating it as such. The pilots and crew are still in DSS custody, undergoing rigorous questioning to determine why they landed where they did.”

He dismissed suggestions that the incident resulted from faulty navigational equipment at the airport, insisting that the control tower performed its duties professionally.

He further said, “The tower at Asaba asked if they were on approach and cleared them to land. But they refused to land on the runway. When controllers contacted them again, asking, ‘You are not on the runway, where are you?’ it became clear they had landed on a concrete road outside the airport.”

Keyamo said the incident became more disturbing after the crew allegedly departed the scene before accident investigators could inspect the aircraft and question those on board.

“When you make such a serious mistake, you are expected to remain at the scene until accident investigators arrive. Instead, the crew took off again. That was when I contacted the Director-General of the DSS, and arrangements were made for the aircraft’s crew to be picked up immediately on arrival in Lagos.

“The aircraft is not Nigerian-registered; it is registered in the United States. That is why the pilot is over 70 years old. Under Nigerian regulations, commercial pilots cannot continue flying beyond the age of 65. Foreign-registered aircraft operating under wet lease, dry lease or short-term lease arrangements often come into Nigeria for limited periods before returning to their home base,” Keyamo told Nigerians.

Keyamo, however, emphasised that investigations are ongoing to determine the root of the matter.