PRIVATE JETS: Calls grow for tougher sanctions against erring operators

By Dickson Omobola Experts in the aviation sector have called for stricter oversight of private and charter aircraft operators in the country and urged relevant agencies to strengthen flight surveillance, improve information-sharing and impose stiffer sanctions on operators found violating aviation regulations. The experts raised concerns over regulatory enforcement following two recent serious incidents involving private aircraft: a private jet, registration number N989BC, operated by VMO Aero Ltd, which landed on a road in the Ogwashi-Uku area of Delta State, and a Challenger 604 aircraft, registration number T7-SEI, operated by Triton Aviation, whose crew reported that a door had opened in flight They particularly questioned the handling of the Asaba incident and raised concerns about the absence of a final investigation report and the enforcement actions taken against the pilot and the company responsible for managing the aircraft.

One of the experts also queried the regulatory oversight of foreign-registered private jets operating in Nigeria, alleging that some operators might be exploiting their connections to influential individuals to evade regulatory requirements. Speaking to Vanguard, General Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, ART, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, expressed concern that months after the Asaba incident, the authorities had yet to provide a comprehensive account of the investigation and the actions taken.

“The DSS stepped in, the Ministry of Aviation, the NCAA, even the accident investigation body, yet nobody has come to tell us what they have done. Yes, there was a preliminary report, but I think we want to know what happened to that pilot. Are they not supposed to prosecute the pilot? What about the organisation that managed that aircraft? “I don’t think we should panic (both incidents).

There is no red flag as far as I am concerned. There is this distinction between private and commercial operations. Yes, worldwide, commercial operations are stricter. There are more levels and layers of safety and certification that are compulsory before you can fly, compared to private operations. I think these incidents, which are also serious incidents, are meant to strengthen the regulations and processes in place.” Also speaking, aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retd, questioned the enforcement of regulations governing foreign-registered private aircraft operating in the country.

He said: “How many of those aircraft are Nigerian-registered? They are all foreign-registered. What is the enforcement of regulation on them? One big man will get the aircraft, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, will not want to get too involved because of the big man or whoever has it, or if the person has contact with the political officeholders.

“After the Asaba incident, what has been the report? The regulation says they (charter operators) must have security clearance. But why are they flying from one airport to the other? Are they commercial services? If it has to move from one place to another airport, it needs a security clearance. And that security clearance must be attached to the flight plan before the Air Traffic Controller, ATC, can clear.

“Look at the one that claimed it was going to Asaba, but didn’t go to Asaba and dropped people. The aircraft’s ladder was down, so what did it do with the ladder? Those are the things that should concern the security agencies. That is also the concern of the NCAA.” Meanwhile, former Rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Capt Sam Caulcrick, said private jets had historically faced a different level of regulatory scrutiny from commercial airlines because of the distinction between the two categories of aviation.

He identified the regulatory framework and funding structure of aviation agencies as factors behind the difference in oversight. According to him, commercial airlines were subject to stricter requirements because they transport fare-paying passengers, who depend on operators and regulators to ensure that aircraft maintenance and pilot qualifications meet prescribed standards.

Caulcrick, however, noted that the NCAA had increased scrutiny of private jet operations, including the examination of passenger manifests to determine whether aircraft approved for non-commercial use were being deployed for charter services. He said: “Historically, private jet operations have faced less intensive regulatory oversight than commercial airlines.

A primary structural driver for this difference in the aviation industry is the funding model of regulatory bodies like the NCAA. “Commercial airlines heavily subsidise regulatory agencies through mechanisms like the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC, and Cargo Sales Charge, CSC. Because private jet operators do not transport fare-paying public passengers, they do not generate these specific revenue streams for regulators, leading to a traditional framework that tr