The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the licenses of three Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) holders, also known as private jet owners, for allegedly failing to comply with regulatory requirements. Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director-General of NCAA, revealed this to journalists in Lagos, stating that the authority had warned the PNCF holders in March and subsequently monitored their activities at airport terminals nationwide.
Following increased surveillance, three private operators were found to have violated the annexure provisions of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023. As a result, NCAA has suspended their PNCFs and announced a re-evaluation of compliance with regulatory requirements for all PNCF owners within the next 72 hours, in line with its zero-tolerance policy for violations.
Najomo highlighted that the use of private jets for commercial purposes had previously drawn the attention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), leading to orders to cease such activities. In March, NCAA issued a strong warning to PNCF holders against carrying passengers, cargo, or mail for hire and reward, including existing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders using aircraft listed on their PNCF for commercial charter operations.
He reiterated that only aircraft listed in the Operation Specifications of the AOC are authorized for charter services, emphasizing the need for AOC holders to apply to delist aircraft from the PNCF for charter operations. Najomo also advised the public to avoid patronizing airlines that do not hold a valid AOC issued by NCAA for charter operation services and encouraged legitimate players in the aviation industry to report illegal activities promptly to the authority for necessary action.
