3 private jets suspended, NCAA gives condition for owners to run commercial operations

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the permission for three private jet operators to operate for commercial purposes.

This was revealed in a Riot Act signed by Captain Chris Najomo, the acting Director-General on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Recall that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo stated on Monday that their operations were costing the government a significant amount of money because they were operating without a license to provide commercial services.

In a Riot Act on Tuesday, Chris Najamo suspended three jet operators who had been found guilty of operating commercial flights, according to a ChannelsTV report.

According to Mr Najamo, these jet operators were suspended because, despite several warnings, they continued to conduct commercial flying operations.

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.”

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

Within 72 hours, all permit for non-commercial flights holders were to turn in the necessary paperwork to the authority.

Najomo 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."

BEB