st aff ing , ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁steady ▁decl ine ▁of ▁Niger ia ▁Air ways ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁The ▁car rier ▁had ▁accum ulated ▁significant ▁deb ts ▁that ▁out st ri pped ▁its ▁reven ues ▁from ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁aircraft ▁were ▁det ained ▁or ▁imp ounded ▁for ▁un pa id ▁deb ts . ▁The ▁International ▁Air ▁Transport ▁Association ▁( I ATA ) ▁susp ended ▁Niger ia ▁Air ways ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁from ▁the ▁clear ing ▁house ▁( which ▁meant ▁the ▁air line ▁could ▁not ▁issue ▁tick ets ▁to ▁fly ▁on ▁other ▁I ATA ▁member ▁air lines ▁and ▁the ▁con verse ) ▁for ▁accum ulated ▁deb ts ▁of ▁. ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁the ▁air line ▁had ▁deb ts ▁for ▁approximately ▁, ▁with ▁a ▁re venue ▁of ▁ ▁per ▁month ▁and ▁exp end iture ▁of ▁approximately ▁ ▁a ▁month . ▁This ▁situation ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁air line ▁to ▁increase ▁its ▁domestic ▁and ▁international ▁far es ▁by ▁ 1 0 0 % ▁and ▁ 2 0 %, ▁respectively , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁raise ▁funds ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁the ▁def ic it , ▁but ▁this ▁measure ▁reduced ▁the ▁passenger ▁traffic . ▁Even ▁though ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁jobs ▁had ▁been ▁cut ▁by ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁and ▁ 1 , 7 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁year , ▁Niger ia ▁ordered ▁the ▁air line ▁to