The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has once again threatened to revoke the operating licenses of private jet owners (holders of Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF), engaging in commercial flight operations.
In a bid to curb the illicit act among the private jet
owners, NCAA said it has deployed its officials to the General Aviation
Terminals (GAT) and private wings of the nation’s airports to monitor
activities of the PNCF holders.
NCAA in a statement by Michael Achimugu, its Director,
Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, declared that the certificate owned
by the private jet owners do not permit them to operate as hire and reward.
Achimugu emphasised that if the private jet owners continued
in this act, the apex regulatory body in the civil aviation industry may
suspend, withdraw or revoke their permits.
The statement further notified the public that it was
illegal to engage PNCF holders for commercial purposes.
According to him, in line with Section 32 (4) of the Civil
Aviation Act 2022, NCAA would not hesitate to initiate enforcement actions
against any PNCF holder found guilty of illegal operations.
The statement added: “The NCAA wishes to restate its zero
tolerance for violations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 and
shall continue to enforce strict compliance through the application of
appropriate sanctions.”
This is not the first time that NCAA would threatened to
sanction private jet owners against using their equipment for hire and reward.
Just this January, Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting
Director-General Civil Aviation, had declared that private jets engaged in
commercial operations would face the consequence of license revocation.
Najomo had conveyed apprehension regarding the actions of
private jet operators within the nation.
This development followed a preliminary report by the
Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) after Flint Aero aircraft was
involved in a November 2023 crash at Ibadan Airport in Oyo State.
The aircraft, whichh had the Minister of Power, Adebayo
Adelabu, onboard, was found to be operating in violation of established
regulations.
Najomo had said that if these owners intended to function as
commercial or charter operators, they must submit applications for the
appropriate commercial licenses.
He emphasised that only those possessing an Air Transport
Licence (ATL) and Airline Operating Permit (AOP), accompanied by a valid Air
Operator Certificate (AOC), were permitted to engage in charter operations.
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