Chinedu Eze
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations Specs Part G of the Air Operator’s Certificate of Sky Power Express Airways Nigeria Limited and some private charter aircraft due to non-compliance and or violations of the provision of NCARS (Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations) Part 9.2.3.4(b).
The regulatory authority had threatened to suspend airlines operating charter service with aircraft not registered for commercial service.
THISDAY learnt that an aircraft under Sky Power Express Airways was grounded in Dubai due to non-compliance with the regulations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regulatory authorities and NCAA.
NCAA in a letter dated June 30, 2020, with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/129 signed by the Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu, and entitled: Suspension of the Ops Specs Part G (Aircraft Leasing Operations) of your organisation’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), issued the suspension, which was addressed to the Managing Director of Sky Power Express.
The letter read in part: “NCARS Part 9.2.3.4(b) refers to Wet Leasing aircraft and states: (b) No holder of an AOC issued under this Part 9 may allow another entity or air operator to conduct wet-lease operations on its behalf (a wet lease in) unless “(1) That air operator holds an AOC or its equivalent from a contracting state that authorises those operations;(2) The AOC holder advises the authority of such operations and provides a copy of the AOC under which the operation was conducted;(3) Such operation does not exceed a period of 12 months and(4) The authority approves the operations.
“Be informed that by this action, your organisation ceases to exercise all the privileges associated with Part G authorisation.
“Furthermore, the operations of the following aircraft listed on the Part G of your organisation’s operations specifications are hereby suspended pending a full audit of your organisation and compliance with all the relevant Nig. CARS: Hawker 800XP: N838B, Hawker 800XP: N552ME, Hawker 800XP: N749WW, Hawker 800XP: ZS-EXG, CL604-D-ANGB, CL604-T7-NMN, CL601-N580KR, Gulfstream 200-N100EK.
Other aircraft affected by the audit include: CL604-N605JA operated by Jedidiah Air, CL604-N880ET operated by OmniBlu, CL604-N604WL operated by West Link Airlines, G.IV-N990EA operated by NestOi, CL601-N253LA operated by West Link Airlines, G1159A-N313MS operated by Izy Air and and CL604-G-FABO operated by Jet Support Services.”
THISDAY also learnt that many aircraft are also operated under Sky Power Express Airways because the company has AOC, so those aircraft operate under its core sign.
The Managing Director of Sky Power Express Airways, Capt. Mohammed Joji, did not respond to calls made by THISDAY.
However, NCAA has released one of the two aircraft belonging to West Link Airlines currently grounded, having erroneously added it to the grounded list.
The aircraft, a Challenger CL604-N604WL operated by West Link Airlines, was released having not fallen under the category of Part G category as it is said to be owned solely by the airline and not leased.
The other aircraft, the CL601-N253LA, however, falls under the category and will still have to undergo a full audit and compliance with all the relevant Nig. CARS.
