NCAA suspends licences of three ‘rogue’ airlines, to sanitise charter operation business

…Deploys personnel to monitor private jet operations across Nigeria

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) of three operators for operating commercial flights for violating the conditions of their operations.

Private jet owners who convert their aircraft to commercial use without the knowledge of the aviation regulatory body are generally regarded as ‘Rogue Operators’.

Private air charter has become a more popular option for travellers looking to fly with convenience and style in mind. However, not all air charter operators comply with the regulations and laws put in place by the aviation industry. Some do not meet the safety, operational, and regulatory standards that are necessary to be a reliable provider. This is what’s considered an illegal air charter.

The acting Director-General of NCAA,  Capt. Chris  Najomo, on Tuesday,  said the authority had  deployed its officials to monitor activities of private jets at terminals across the airports in Nigeria, adding that 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

He added that to further sanitise the general aviation sector, he directed that a re-evaluation of all holders of PNCF be carried out on or before April 19^th, 2024 to ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements.

According to him, all PNCF holders will be required to 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 emphasized that only aircraft listed in the Operation Specifications of the AOC are authorised to be used in the provision of such charter services. Any of those AOC holders who wish 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”, he said.

The authority, however, urged the travelling public not to patronise any airline charter operator who does not hold a valid (AOC) issued by the NCAA, when they wish to procure charter operations services.

It asked the legitimate players in the aviation industry to report the activity of such unscrupulous elements to the authorities promptly for necessary action.

In March 2024, the NCAA had 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 NCAA had been put under tremendous pressure over illegal charter operations in the country. Stakeholders are equally worried. The agency has read the riot act to the perpetrators just like it has done in the past.

Many aircraft owners and operators decide that they may not need full-time use of their aircraft, so they explore the possibility of sharing the use of their aircraft with friends and acquaintances.

Frequently this involves paying rent or sharing the costs of a flight. While there are ways that this can be accomplished legally, there are many ways that this can go awry.

It has been estimated that over N200 billion is repatriated by illegal charter operators every year and these include profits from charter services, payment for leased aircraft, remuneration of foreign crew, and maintenance costs paid to foreign companies.

For example, depending on the size of the aircraft, Nigerians who operate these aircraft pay about $500, 000 per month on lease while the pilot in command is paid about $10, 000 to $15, 000 per month as salary under the work schedule of one month on and one month off.

Wole Shadare