LEGIT
Recent concerns voiced by Mr 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.
Iyayi noted that foreign-registered aircraft are the primary offenders in these illegal charters, as they fall outside the jurisdiction of the NCAA.
