• NCAA wields big axe just weeks after warning

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) of three operators for infringing on the guidelines preventing them from operating commercial flights.

A recent statement by Chris Najomo, acting director general, NCAA, 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 have been found to be 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 has directed that a re-evaluation of all holders of PNCF be carried out to ascertain compliance with regulatory requirements.

According to him, all PNCF holders will be required to submit relevant documents to the authority.

“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 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 into 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 Air Operators Certificate 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 authority 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.