The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed that as of April 2025, $1.3 billion in airline funds are currently blocked by governments, hindering repatriation efforts. Notably, Nigeria is absent from this troubling list.
Despite the significant amount, this reflects a 25% improvement from the $1.7 billion reported in October 2024.
Over the past two years, Nigeria has successfully maintained a clean slate, no longer withholding funds from foreign carriers.
In 2024, IATA confirmed that all issues regarding trapped funds in Nigeria had been resolved. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director-General, acknowledged the substantial progress in Nigeria, highlighting that blocked funds peaked at $850 million in June 2023, which severely affected airline operations and finances. Fortunately, most of these funds have since been repatriated.
IATA has urged governments to remove obstacles that prevent airlines from repatriating their earnings from ticket sales and other operations, in accordance with international agreements and treaty obligations.
“Timely repatriation of revenues is crucial for airlines to meet dollar-denominated expenses and maintain operations. Delays and denials violate bilateral agreements and increase exchange rate risks,” Walsh stated.
“Reliable access to revenue is vital for any business—particularly for airlines that operate on extremely tight margins. The economy and job security depend on international connectivity. Governments must understand that obstructing or delaying revenue repatriation severely hampers airlines’ ability to sustain connectivity,” he added.
