Operators panic as NCAA moves against foreign registered aircraft

Private jet owners operating foreign registered airplanes are in panic mode as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will not allow them to operate their equipment after six months grace given to them to deregister them.

The aviation regulatory body said it won’t back down on its regulations, just as the owners of some of the expensive aircraft are crying foul, saying the NCAA plans to run them out of business.

Speaking with Woleshadarenews on condition of anonymity, one of the jet owners who owns a $50 million Bombardier Global Business jet, said NCAA’s regulation is capable of grounding many of them who operate foreign registered aircraft.

The source however, said that if all pleas fail to make the agency rescind its decision, they may be forced to operate their aircraft from Ghana, which he said would negatively impact on the revenue they pay to the government through its various aviation agencies.

He added that private business in the country would collapse should the government not grant them Flight Operation Clearance Certificate (FOCC). The implication of it is that after six months window in the first and second instances, the owners or operators of foreign registered planes are expected to register them in Nigeria’s aviation code known as 5N.

But spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye told our correspondent that the agency insisted on regulation because of the abuse foreign registered aircraft owners subject their equipment to in the country by running operations that are alien to what their operations stipulate.

His words, “We are already investigating an airline. It is a very complicated investigation on how jet owners use their airplanes to carry out nefarious activities. The investigation has revealed a lot of things. There are so many infractions by these airlines endangering people’s lives.

“There is nothing NCAA is doing that is outside our regulation, which all the airlines, whether scheduled or non-scheduled are not conversant with.”

A close look at Part 8.2.1.9-A of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR) states, “No person shall operate a foreign registered aircraft in general aviation in Nigeria except in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Flight Operations Clearance Certificate (FOCC) and the Maintenance Clearance Certificate (MCC) issued by the authority and in force in respect of that aircraft.”

The regulation further states that the FOCC and MCC shall be issued for a period not exceeding six months and be renewed only once for a maximum period of six months.

Adurogboye affirmed that NCAA, based on its law only grants or clear operators of foreign registered aircraft operating in Nigeria six months to operate that equipment.

“They still have the benefit of another six months after the second after the first six month window. NCAA will not grant the owner or operator a third chance. After that you deregister from the foreign registration and re-register your aircraft with NCAA. The FOCC is a temporary permit.

“There is nothing wrong with people giving foreign registration to their aircraft. All that is critical is that they subject the operations of their private jets in Nigeria to the prescribed rules and regulations rolled out for such category of operations by the regulator”, he added.

The reason for an increased number of foreign registered private/corporate jets in Nigeria has been traced to lower insurance policy cover, convenience to secure services of crew members as well as a ploy to conceal real ownership.

Nigeria in the last decade has seen an upsurge in the presence of luxury aircraft at its airports and at airports’ hangars across the country with private flying now the preferred mode of air travel among influential Nigerians.