Illegal Charter Operations: FG Moves to Shut Down Private Hangars
- The federal government may soon move to shut down private hangars in airports across Nigeria
- This is due to issues and threats arising from illegal charter operations that take place there
- The ministerial task force set up to investigate the matter has uncovered mind-boggling revelations
Legit.ng journalist Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has over a decade of experience in business reporting across digital and mainstream media.
The federal government is considering shutting down private hangar operations in airports across Nigeria to stop illegal charter operations.
The Federal Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), noted that this was one of the recommendations of the task force set up to investigate illegal charter operations in Nigeria, and it is being considered.
has said that the federal government may consider the recommendations of the task force set up to investigate illegal charter operations, which includes the shutdown of private hangars at airports across the country over illegal charter operations.
Source: UGC
Keyamo noted that illegal charter operations were detrimental to the aviation sector and the country in many ways, including the loss of billions of naira in revenue to the federal government.
Illegal Charter operations cost FG N120bn loss
Recall that the Ministerial Task Force on Illegal Private Charter Operations report showed that the government has lost over N120 billion in revenue to illegal private jet charter operations in the last ten years.
The report from the team led by Captain Ado Sanusi, MD of Aero Contractors, showed that these operators take advantage of regulatory gaps and weak enforcement systems on the part of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Other issues identified include the lack of interagency cooperation, security breaches, and obsolete policies, and the team recommended a total shutdown of private hangars at the airports and a restructure of the system to standardize operations and enhance security.
Illegal charter operations pose security threats
While speaking at the fourth edition of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation’s Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja, Keyamo explained how the majority of private jet owners exploit the regulatory loopholes to avoid paying what they ought to pay.
He noted that these jet owners register their jets for private operations and obtain the Private Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) licenses, which allow them to pay lower fees and avoid stricter regulations, the SUN reports.
According to him, up to 80% of them turn around to use said jets for commercial charter operations, pooling more income and avoiding the checks, regulations and taxes that accompany commercial charter.
He explained that these activities constitute major security risks as the authorities are unable to determine who or what is on board on every trip, leaving much room for smuggling operations, transportation of arms and even money laundering to fund terrorism.
Source: UGC
It also means that there is no available manifest to determine the people onboard in the event of an accident or near-accident.
Keyamo explained that the private licenses are allowed for personal and non-commercial uses like transporting family members to social or business events and not for leasing or charter operations.
Task force exposes those behind illegal charter operations
In related news, investigations from the task force revealed that foreign-registered private jets are predominantly responsible for illegal charter operations.
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, and some of them have affluent people regularly using their jets for commercial purposes.
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Source: Legit.ng
