Private jet owners to fly without operators’ certificate

The Federal Government is coming up with a new policy that will allow private jet owners to fly without Air Operators Certificate.

SUNDAY PUNCH leanrt that the new general aviation policy being put together by the Ministry of Aviation has forced government to suspend the importation of private jets for some months.

A draft of the policy is ready, according to a source close to the ministry.

The draft, the source said, contained a comprehensive review of the entire general aviation (private/business jets) policy.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the new policy had been completed, except for some legal details relating to the 2006 Civil Aviation Act.

Under the new general aviation policy soon to be unveiled, the source said, “Private jet owners would no longer be required to own an AOC to operate their private jets.”

He explained that since private jet owners were not into commercial operation of aircraft, it would be of no use asking them to get an AOC before they could fly their jets.

“The current situation where every private jet owner is required to get an AOC before they can operate their jet will no longer be tenable. The new general aviation policy is tailored towards the American system where aircraft operators are divided into various categories.

“And as in the United States, where we have various parts of the regulations governing different categories of operators, we will have a situation where heavy commercial operators like Aerocontractors Airlines will be placed under Part 121; light commercial operators like Overland and Bristow and chartered aircraft operators will be put under Part 135; then private jet owners who are just flying themselves, friends, and family members will be put under Part 91, which does not require the use of an AOC. Only part 121 and 135 will require an AOC,” the so0urce stated.

The ministry official explained that under the new regime, prospective private jet owners, after getting approval from the ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority would operate the aircraft as soon as the airplanes arrived in the country.