22 private jets on watch list over illegal operations
All owners of foreign registered privately operated aircraft in Nigeria who have failed to regularise their documentation in conformity with their operational status will face severe sanctions from the regulatory authority, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Though the NCAA hasn’t disclosed identities of particular defaulting airlines, it had put 22 of the private jet operators on its watch list.
The airlines that are being watched by NCAA are: Air First, ANAP Business Jets, ATT Aviation Support Limited, AVJET Corporation, BUA Group Limited, Chrome Air, Delmon Aviation C&K, Dominion Air, EAN Aviation Limited, Executive Jets, Ferry Aviation Services Limited, Gitto Construzioni, Grenfact Ventures Limited, Gyro Air limited, NAMCO Nig. Limited and Orlean Invest West Africa.
Others are: Prime Air, Project Eagle Air Ltd, Southern Air, SWAT Technology Ltd, Tag Aviation Ltd, and Toucan Aviation Support.
A statement from NCAA’s General Manager Public Affairs, Fan Nduboke, said NCAA’s Director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Mukhtar Usman, has said “the NCAA is ready to commence the regime of stipulated sanctions on the erring operators.”
The statement quoted the NCAA’s DG to have said “the sanctions will include grounding of operations, revocation of license and outright seizure of aircraft forthwith.”
The use of these operators’ aircraft for commercial operations is at variance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation, Nig.CARs 9.1.1.4(a)(b) which is tantamount to gross violation.
“The DG therefore reiterated his warning that all private operators that have been issued with NCAA’s Flight Operations Clearance Certificate (FOCC) and Maintenance Clearance Certificate (MCC) in line with Nig.CARs 8.2.1.9, are by these certification authorised to operate within Nigeria strictly for private operation only and not for hire and reward,” it said.
It is on this strength that Captain Usman has declared his preparedness to revoke the operating license of any identified defaulting private operator, the statement noted.
A committee was recently set up by Minister of Aviation Chief Osita Chidoka to take a holistic appraisal of their operations. The committee has since submitted its report.
Part of the recommendations of the committee is the revocation of a defaulting operator’s license and having his aircraft impounded immediately. Thereafter, a mandatory payment of $100,000 fine will be required to secure the release of the aircraft.