The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended ten private jet operators for failing to comply with the recertification process required by the regulator.
According to a statement from Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, the suspended licenses belonged to operators who violated Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 Part 18.3.4.
This regulation prohibits holders of Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) from using their aircraft for commercial purposes such as carrying passengers, cargo, or mail for hire or reward, which includes charter services.
The suspended operators are Azikel Dredging Nigeria Ltd, Bli-Aviation Safety Services, Ferry Aviation Developments Ltd, Matrix Energy Ltd, Marrietta Management Services Ltd, Worldwide Skypaths Services, Mattini Airline Services Ltd, Aero Lead Ltd, Sky Bird Air Ltd, and Ezuma Jets Ltd.
This action follows the earlier suspension of three private jet operators in April for conducting commercial flights. Following that incident, NCAA directed all holders of non-commercial flight permits to undergo re-evaluation by April 19, 2024.
NCAA has advised travellers against using the services of any airline charter operator that does not possess a valid Air Operator Certificate issued by the authority.
