The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has revoked the permits of three private jet operators for conducting commercial flights.
Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, declared the suspension of these operators during a briefing to all airlines on Tuesday.
He mentioned that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had ordered the halt of private jets for commercial use in 2023, yet the operators persisted in this practice.
“In March 2024, the NCAA issued a firm warning to the holders of the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF), prohibiting them from carrying passengers, cargo, or mail for compensation or hire,” Najomo said.
Furthermore, the Authority has stationed officials to oversee the operations of private jets at various airport terminals throughout Nigeria.
“As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators have been found to be involved in violation of the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.
“In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators.”
The regulator also directed that the re-evaluation of all non-commercial flight permit holders be carried out on or before the April 19, 2024.
“All holders of a Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) are required to submit the necessary documents to the authority within the next 72 hours.
This directive also applies to current Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders using aircraft listed on their PNCF for commercial charter operations.
The regulator emphasized that only aircraft included in the AOC’s Operation Specifications are authorized for charter service provision.
AOC holders wishing to use their aircraft for charter operations must request the NCAA to remove the aircraft from the PNCF and add it to the AOC’s Operation Specifications.
The NCAA advises the traveling public to avoid patronizing any charter airline operator that does not possess a valid AOC issued by the NCAA.”
