Recent concerns voiced by Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, regarding the improper use of private jets for unauthorized commercial purposes have been confirmed.
A government task force, established by the minister and led by Aero Contractors’ managing director Ado Sanusi, recently presented their initial findings at a press conference in Lagos.
The investigation revealed that foreign-registered private jets are predominantly responsible for breaching civil aviation regulations related to charter flights.
Roland Iyayi, the task force spokesperson, reported that their findings indicate a notable increase in private business jets in Nigeria, rising from 44 in 2005 to 157 today—a 357% increase.
He noted that these aircraft have long managed to avoid oversight by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) because of their foreign registration.
The task force also discovered a trend of unlawful charter activities involving not only minor operators but also affluent individuals using their private jets for commercial purposes.
According to The Sun, Iyayi noted that foreign-registered aircraft are the primary offenders in these illegal charters, as they fall outside the jurisdiction of the NCAA.
He said:
He added that the operators have been implicated in other illegal practices, such as altering passenger manifests and failing to comply with regulations.
TimesNow.com.ng had earlier reported that the NCAA had warned that private jets engaged in commercial operations face the potential consequence of license revocation.
In July, the NCAA suspended the operations of 10 private jet companies operating illegally after failing to come for recertification of their PNCF license.
Wale Ogundeji, energy analyst, told TimesNow.com.ng that Nigeria’s government crackdown on illegal private jet charters is a crucial step to ensure aviation safety and uphold regulations.
He said:
He added that strengthening regulatory measures will ultimately contribute to a safer, more reliable aviation industry in Nigeria, fostering growth and maintaining international standards.
In related news, TimesNow.com.ng reported that Nigeria Customs Service had grounded a US-registered Gulfstream G650ER jet belonging to a prominent Nigerian bank.
The move demonstrates the commencement of clampdowns on private jet owners over unpaid import duties that amount to billions of naira.
The development came two weeks after the Customs began a one-month verification exercise for private jet owners in Nigeria.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
