Simple Flying - Tatenda Karuwa
Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has proposed several amendments to the NCAA regulations of 2015 for the development of the aviation sector in the country.
The authority held a three-day consultation meeting with Nigerian aviation stakeholders to discuss the proposed amendments to the NCAA regulations. The amendments align with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and are meant to address some challenges faced in the industry.
NCAA Director General Musa Nuhu spoke at the stakeholder's meeting. He proposed to extend the validity of the Air Operator's Certificates (AOC) of the country's scheduled carriers from three to five years, while AOCs of non-scheduled carriers will remain valid for three years.
In another proposed amendment, only carriers authorized for scheduled and cargo operations will be permitted to operate wet-leased aircraft for a period of six months or less. In the future, AOC applicants will need to acquire at least six Nigerian-registered aircraft before commencing scheduled operations.
The NCAA also raised the penalties given to airlines and stakeholders for violations in the aviation sector. The maximum penalty will be about $21,690 (N10 million), while the minimum penalty will be about $2,170 (N1 million).
