The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has banned charter services with privately-registered aircraft with effect from today.
This is coming as the Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, has said that the agency will implement flight spacing at all its airports in order to ensure prevention of spread of pandemic when flight operations resume.
The regulatory agency, it was learnt, has also queried its directors who allowed privately-owned aircraft to be used for charter services.
NCAA said it would ground such aircraft when used for charter or revoke the operating licence of anyone that disobeyed the directive.
Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, said the use of private aircraft for charter must stop forthwith.
About 50 per cent of 100 privately-owned aircraft are used for charter operations and efforts to stop their owners had failed in the past.
But in a circular issued on June 24, and addressed to the Directorate of Operations and Training (DOT), Directorate of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS) and the Directorate of Air Transport Regulations (DATR) of the NCAA, Nuhu stated that aircraft duly registered as privately owned should not be used for commercial charter.
Unlike private aircraft, aircraft designated for commercial charter service are usually subjected to stringent regulation, especially in the area of maintenance, to ensure that they are airworthy to operate safely.
Source: THISDAY
