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Illegal charter operators pose danger to aviation-NCAA

The Acting Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Chris Ona Najomo has lamented the nefarious activities of illegal private jet operators, stressing that they pose a serious threat to the country’s aviation industry.

Describing the culprits as ‘Cartel’, Najomo said their activities have seriously affected the fortunes of the genuine and licensed charter operators, vowing that the aviation regulatory body had concluded plans to publish the names of the operators of the illegal business and to warn Nigerian elites not to fly aircraft that are not duly registered with the NCAA.

NCAA

He spoke against the backdrop of Flint Aero aircraft carrying the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu from Abuja to Ibadan Airport in November which crashed inside the airport and which preliminary report by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) indicated was an illegal charter operation.

Holders of Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Airline Operating Permit (AOP) with valid AOC, he said are the only authorized operators to carry out charter operations. Many  a time, private jet owner clandestinely turn their aircraft into charter operations.


The Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2015 Part 18.2.3.1. states thus:  No person shall use any aircraft in Nigeria for hire and reward in the public transport category to provide non-scheduled or charter air service unless such a person holds an ATL  or Airline Operating Permit (AOP) issued by the Authority.

Najomo stated that it therefore follows that any members of the public transacting business with any unauthorized operators will be doing so at a high risk as such operations may not have valid insurance cover.

‘Charter operators are no longer making money because owners of private jets are not duly registered for the operations they carry out which are risky to the aviation industry. It is a cartel and we are publishing their names and asking Nigerian elites not to fly them”.


Najomo, who spoke when he met with some stakeholders in the aviation industry in his office in Lagos on Thursday stated that the NCAA agency would continue to ensure strict compliance with safety regulations as violations would be viewed seriously, adding that illegal charter operations pose a serious safety hazard to the traveling public, and the aviation regulatory works aggressively to identify and shut down rogue operators.

Illegal charters can take a variety of forms including but not limited to: companies that don’t have the required certificates; use aircraft that are not on their authorized aircraft list; use unqualified pilots; offer ride-sharing; try to transfer operational control of the flight to the customer; operate under one rule when they are required to operate under a different rule; and when the customer and the company act in concert to sign a lease that doesn’t include crewmembers, but the company then directs the customer to use a specific flight crew.


The NCAA had in the past taken several actions to crack down on illegal charter operations. The agency formed a special-focus team to investigate complex cases; partners with the air charter industry to help identify possible illegal operations; and is setting up a new team to collaborate with industry trade associations to educate pilots and operators to ensure they understand all of the rules that apply to charter operations.

The activities of these operators according to the aviation regulatory body may have cost the NCAA and the sector several millions of dollars annually in taxes and Tickets Sales Charges (TSC).

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