BY CHINYERE OBIORA – With allegations of illegal operations dotting their paths, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the permits of 10 private jet operators in the country for undermining official directives.
The affected operators, which failed to undergo a recertification process as required by the regulatory authority, now have their Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) suspended
The sanction followed revelations that most of the private jet operators were abusing the PNCF and deploying their aircraft for commercial flights or what aviation stakeholders popularly refer to as ‘hire and reward’.
By the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 Part 18.3.4, holders of PNCF are barred from using their aircraft for CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS, CARGO or MAIL for HIRE or REWARD (commercial operation or charter services).
However, due to blatant disregard of this rule by some operators in the industry, the NCAA had directed all PNCF holders to undergo re-evaluation with the 19th of April 2024 set as deadline for the exercise to be concluded.
Accordingly, NCAA has now bared it’s fangs against the erring companies with the immediate suspension of their operational licences.
Those affected include: Azikel Dredging Nigeria Ltd; Bli-Aviation Safety Services; Ferry Aviation Developments Ltd; Matrix Energy Ltd; and Marrietta Management Services Ltd.
Others are Worldwide Skypaths Services; Mattini Airline Services Ltd; Aero Lead Ltd; Sky Bird Air Ltd; and Ezuma Jets Ltd.
A statement by NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, maintained that; “it is illegal to engage PNCF holders for commercial purposes.”
Achimugu further warned that; “The NCAA will not hesitate to initiate enforcement actions against any PNCF holder found guilty of illegal operations.
“Furthermore, NCAA officials have been deployed to General Aviation Terminals (GAT) and private wings of the airports to monitor activities of the PNCF holders”.
Forefront News confirmed that the latest action is in line with NCAA’s zero tolerance for violation of regulations, even as the Authority urged the travelling public not to patronise any airline charter operator who does not hold a valid Air Operator Certificate issued by the NCAA.
Earlier in April, the NCAA had suspended three private jet operators’ permits for commercial flights and its Acting Director General, Chris Najomo quoted the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as giving the marching orders for private operators to stop using their jets for commercial purposes in 2023.
With the operators refusing to refrain from the illegal practice, the NCAA subsequently, in March 2024, issued a stern warning to holders of the permit for non-commercial flights (PNCF), against engaging in the carriage of passenger-cargo or mail for hire and reward”.
“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 are involved in violation of the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023″
