3 Private Jets Suspended as NCAA Gives Condition for Owners to Run Commercial Operations

• After several warnings, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended three private aircraft from operating in the country
• It stated that the three private operators are involved in violation of the annexure provision of their private aircraft operations
• It also gave orders for all holders of the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights to turn in the necessary paperwork to the authority

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the permission of three private aircraft operators to operate for commercial purposes.

This was stated in a Riot Act signed by Captain Chris Najomo, the acting director general, and posted on the NCAA website on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

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Earlier on Monday, Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, warned the private jet operators that their operations were costing the federal government a significant amount of money since they were operating without a license to provide commercial services.

However, in a Riot Act on Tuesday, the acting DG of the NCAA suspended three jet operators who had been found guilty of operating commercial flights, according to a ChannelsTV report.

The acting director general revealed that the affected jet operators were suspended for conducting commercial flight operations despite multiple warnings.

He stated:

“The Authority had also deployed its officials to monitor activities of private jets at terminals across the airports in Nigeria. As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators violate the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 91.14 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”

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Najomo stated that NCAA's zero-tolerance policy for breaking the rules was adhered to by suspending the plane operators for disobeying multiple warnings.

All holders are to submit permit

The notification further stipulated that within 72 hours, all Permit for Non-Commercial Flights holders are to turn in the necessary paperwork to the authority.

It added:

“All PNCF holders must submit relevant documents to the authority within the next 72 hours.

“This riot act is also directed at existing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders, who utilise aircraft listed on their PNCF for commercial charter operations.

“It must be emphasised that only aircraft listed in the operation specifications of the AOC are authorised to be used in the provision of such charter services. Any AOC holders wishing to use the aircraft for charter operations must apply to the NCAA to delist the affected aircraft from the PNCF and include it in the AOC operations specification."

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NCAA set to revoke licenses

Legit.ng previously reported that NCAA also declared that private jets engaging in commercial operations risk license revocation.

It stated this during the presentation of the agency's strategic vision for 2024 in Lagos.

The move followed a preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau after Flint Aero aircraft was involved in a November 2023 crash at Ibadan Airport in Oyo State.

Source: Legit.ng