Business

NCAA Suspends 10 Private Jet Operators Over Failure To Commence Rectification Process

Published

2 years ago

July 5, 2024

597 Views

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended 10 private jet operators over failure to commence the recertification process.

A statement signed by NCAA’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, said the suspension was rooted in its Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023 Part 18.3.4 which forbids holders of Permit for Non-Commercial Flights (PNCF) from using their aircraft for carriage of passengers, cargo or mail for hire or reward which is commercial operation or charter service.The suspended operators are Azikel Dredging Nigeria Ltd, Bli-Aviation Safety Services, Ferry Aviation Developments Ltd, Matrix Energy Ltd, Marrietta Management Services Ltd, Worldwide Skypaths Services, Mattini Airline Services Ltd, Aero Lead Ltd, Sky Bird Air Ltd and Ezuma Jets Ltd.The authority also warned that engaging PNCF holders for commercial purposes is illegal.

It said, “And It will not hesitate to initiate enforcement actions against any PNCF holder found guilty of illegal operations.”

In April, the NCAA suspended three private jet operators’ permits for commercial flights.The Acting Director General of the NCAA, Chris Najomo, at the time, said the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, gave marching orders for the cessation of the use of private jets for commercial purposes in 2023 but the operators continued in such act.“Subsequently, in March 2024, the NCAA had issued a stern warning to holders of the permit for non-commercial flights, PNCF, against engaging in the carriage of passenger-cargo or mail for hire and reward,” Najomo stated.“The Authority had also deployed its officials to monitor activities of private jets at terminals across the airports in Nigeria.

“As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators are involved in violation of the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.“In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators.”

The regulator had also directed that all non-commercial flight permit holders be re-evaluated on or before April 19, 2024.

“All PNCF holders will be required to submit relevant documents to the authority within the next 72 hours.“This riot act is also directed at existing Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders, who utilise aircraft listed on their PNCF for commercial charter operations.”The regulator stressed that only aircraft listed in the Operation Specifications of the AOC were authorised to be used in the provision of such charter services.“Any of those AOC holders who wish to use the aircraft for charter operations must apply to the NCAA to delist the affected aircraft from the PNCF and include it into the AOC operations specification.”The NCAA urged the travelling public not to patronise any airline charter operator who does not hold a valid Air Operator Certificate issued by the NCAA.

Related Topics:Featured NCAA Private Jet Operators

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Naira Rates To Dollar , Pound, EURO… Monday, October 5

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2026

OCHEFA

39 Views

Black Market Exchange Rates

₦1365DOLLAR (USD)

₦1820POUND (GBP)

₦1535EURO (EUR)

₦970 CANADIAN DOLLAR (CAD)

₦65 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR)

₦350 UAE DIRHAM (AED)

₦190 CHINESE YUAN (CNY)

₦100 GHANAIAN CEDI (GHS)

West African CFA ₦2300CFA

Central African CFA ₦2200

Australian Dollar currency ₦850AUSSIE (AUD)

Official CBN Exchange Rates

DOLLAR (USD)₦1330.10

POUND (GBP)₦1759.58

EURO (EUR)₦1496.76

SWISS FRANC (CHF)₦1605.62

JAPANESE YEN (JPN)₦8.45

CFA FRANC (XOF)₦2.29

WEST AFRICAN UNIT OF ACCOUNT (WAUA)₦1801.60

CHINESE YUAN (CNY) ₦198.39

SAUDI RIYAL (SAR)₦354.25

SOUTH AFRICAN RAND (ZAR)₦79.91

Business

Diesel Costs Bite: LAMATA Accelerates Shift To CNG, Electric Buses

The move comes as diesel prices have more than doubled, rising from about N950 per litre at the beginning of the year to between N1,950 and N2,100 per litre, depending on the source.

Published

3 days ago

October 4, 2026

OCHEFA

49 Views

Lagos is accelerating its transition away from diesel-powered public transport as the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) begins phasing out diesel buses from its regulated fleet, amid a surge in diesel prices that has pushed operating costs sharply higher.

LAMATA is targeting clean-energy propulsion for 52 per cent of its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) fleet by 2050, with compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles (EVs) taking the place of conventional diesel buses under a policy that took effect at the beginning of 2026.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAMATA, Mrs. Abimbola Akinajo, disclosed this weekend, during the handover of 20 additional high-capacity CNG buses under the Presidential Initiative on CNG and EVs.

The latest delivery brings LAMATA’s CNG fleet to about 170 buses, following the deployment of approximately 150 CNG buses before the new vehicles were received.

The authority also operates high-capacity and medium-capacity electric buses.

Akinajo said some of the new CNG buses would be deployed on the busy Ikorodu–Tafawa Balewa Square corridor, where passenger demand remains high.

“We will only work with CNG or EV buses, and this has been the policy since the beginning of the year,” she said.

The move comes as diesel prices have more than doubled, rising from about N950 per litre at the beginning of the year to between N1,950 and N2,100 per litre, depending on the source.

For LAMATA, the shift is therefore not only an environmental policy but also a cost-management strategy aimed at shielding commuters and transport operators from the impact of rising fuel expenses.

Akinajo said regulated public transport fares had not been increased, partly because the lower operating costs of CNG and electric buses were helping to contain the pressure on operators.

“Regulated public transport fares have not increased, and these buses have helped us achieve that,” she said.

Diesel phase-outUnder the new policy, existing diesel-powered buses in the regulated system will be progressively replaced with CNG and electric alternatives.

Akinajo said the long-term direction was for the regulated system to ultimately operate an entirely electric fleet, while the broader clean-energy target provides a pathway towards reducing emissions from Lagos’ transportation sector.

Transportation remains a major source of emissions in the megacity, making the switch to cleaner buses a key component of Lagos State’s long-term ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.