Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) responded on Tuesday to private jet operators who have violated laws by suspending the Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) of three operators who were found to be performing commercial flights.
"[...] No fewer than three private operators have been found to be involved in violations of the annexure provisions of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations. In line with our zero tolerance for violations of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators," the NCAA statement read.
NCAA Acting Director Chris Ona Najomo explained that the discovery of violations by the three operators and their subsequent suspension was made possible by enhanced monitoring at airports in Nigeria.
The NCAA also declared that it would conduct a comprehensive reassessment of all PNCF holders to ensure their compliance with regulations. This evaluation is expected to be finished by Friday. PNCF holders have been directed to promptly submit the required documentation within 72 hours in order to accelerate the procedure. Najomo underscored that these efforts highlight the NCAA's dedication to improving safety in Nigerian airspace.
Lastly, the NCAA cautioned the public against using charter operators that have no proper Air Operators Certificate and encouraged legitimate industry players to report any dubious activities.
Air travel safety in Nigeria does require improvement. Based on assessments by local media, there have been at least 17 aircraft accidents in the West African nation from 2015 to December 2023, which resulted in numerous deaths.
For example, last month, a Super Mushshak trainer aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) experienced "a minor mishap" in Nigeria's northwestern Kaduna State, the NAF reported.
There was also a similar accident last December, when a NAF MI-35P helicopter made an emergency landing with five crew members injured.