Foreign Airlines Dispute CBN Claims over Clearing of their Trapped Funds

*Top travel agent explains why CBN does not owe foreign airlines

Chinedu Eze

Foreign airlines have continued to dispute the claim of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that it has paid off all the trapped airlines funds in its possession.
But there are indications that the apex bank might be right as other revenues of the foreign carriers are domiciled in commercial banks.
Few days ago, the bank reiterated that it had cleared its debts to the foreign airlines.

Acting Director of Corporate Communications at CBN, on Wednesday disclosed in a statement that the financial regulator recently concluded the payment of $1.5 billion to settle obligations to bank customers, effectively settling the residual balance of the FX backlog.

But yesterday, President, Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, (AFARN), Kingsley Nwokeoma, insisted that CBN still owed the airlines.
“If they say they have cleared the trapped funds, they should show us figures. They should tell us how much have been cleared. The last I checked, the status quo still remains the same,” Nwokeoma said.

However, the General Managing Director, Flinchglow Holdings Limited and immediate past President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard, who operates one of the top travel agencies in Nigeria, explained to THISDAY that CBN is correct in insisting that it had cleared the backlog of trapped funds in its coffers.
Bernard said the remaining revenues of the airlines are with the commercial banks; that if they want to repatriate the remaining revenues they would have to buy dollars in the Investors and Exporters window.

“In the past, foreign airlines will sell their tickets in Naira and go to the CBN to buy dollars and repatriate their earnings, but when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came in May, he directed that CBN should no more sell dollars; so, everyone should go to the autonomous market to buy. Airlines funds are domiciled with commercial banks. The backlog that CBN paid were the funds with CBN before the new policy was made. The Central bank has paid this money and does not owe foreign airlines any money. The airlines will now settle with the commercial banks where they kept their monies,” the former NANTA President explained.
He also disclosed that when the Naira experienced rapid drop against the dollar, airlines decided that they would not sell their Naira; rather, they kept their revenues in the commercial banks because they were selling at rates that were lower than the depreciation of the Naira.

For example, if they sold economy class ticket for N400, 000, which could be equivalent of $1, 200 at that point in time, by the time they would want to exchange the money to dollars, that naira had depreciated and dropped radically below $1, 200; so, they decided to leave their money in Naira.

In reaction, the airlines closed their low inventory tickets and started selling their expensive classes that saw economy ticket rise as high as N3 million to N3.2 million for a six-hour flight.

“CBN is therefore saying, we have cleared what is in our books. Whatever remains is with commercial banks, go and clear with the commercial banks. The commercial banks are using their money for liquidity and may not get the dollars to buy and their revenues have amassed to billions of Naira and in reaction, the airlines are not opening their low inventory because their money is still trapped,” Bernard said.

He also noted that there has been relative stability in the exchange rate and that the airlines might choose to sell at this time, reiterating that their revenues are with the commercial banks.

In January when this matter first came up, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) acknowledged that the remaining airlines’ revenues were trapped in the commercial banks.

In the statement it released on January 30, 2024, IATA stated, “The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomes the Central Bank of Nigeria’s announcement this afternoon that it has released an additional $64.44 million in blocked airline funds. We are consulting with our airline members to verify the release of their revenues.

“While this development is encouraging it’s crucial to recognize that approximately $700 million remains blocked with Nigeria’s commercial banks.   As such there’s a considerable journey ahead in fully addressing the issue. This is exacerbated by the devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, which has dropped significantly against the US Dollar.   Airlines should not be unfairly penalized by the lower exchange rate.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with the government to ensure that the environment remains conducive to ensuring Nigeria’s connectivity to international markets.”

However, IATA representative in Nigeria, Dr Samson Fatokun, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that there is really no disagreement with the claim made by CBN but the global body would issue a statement on it next week after it has thoroughly looked at the issues.

“There is no disagreement with CBN. Anybody who suggested that is not speaking for IATA. We are not against the CBN. Now, we don’t have any position. By early next week we are going to make a statement, but we don’t have position now. We are verifying with our member airlines,” he said.

THISDAY learnt that the top five countries that account for 68.0 percent of blocked funds include Nigeria ($812.2 million), Bangladesh ($214.1 million), Algeria ($196.3 million), Pakistan ($188.2 million) and Lebanon ($141.2 million).