PHOTO: FG Nigeri­an Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grounds 2 foreign aircraft

THE Federal Government yesterday, said it has seized two foreign aircraft, which it found out were flown illegally into the Nige­rian airspace. The spokesman for the Nigeri­an Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Samuel Adurogboye, in a statement said the regula­tory agency has grounded the two foreign registered aircrafts with immediate effect.

The statement read: “The aircraft are Bom­bardier 700-100 with registration marks G-RBEN Global express S/N 9083 operated by Gama Aviation, United (UK) Limited and Embraer 135 J with registration marks XA-MHA.”

“The operators of G-RBEN aircraft were found operating in Nigeria’s airspace with falsified flight clearance information and.......
con­ducting illegal domestic flight operations in Nigeria.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the Embraer 135BJ registration marks XA-MHA landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from London, Farnborough, without any flight clearance on September 10, 2015.

Reports from the Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) indicated that the crew informed them that they possessed a ministerial approval for the flight, but on landing, the crew could not produce any ministerial approval as claimed.

The BD 700-100 is a United Kingdom Air Operators Certificate (AOC) holder and has been carrying out several domestic opera­tions between Abuja and Lagos, without the Authority’s Permit/Certification in accor­dance with Nigerian CARs Part 10.

Adurogboye said: “While further investiga­tion continues, both aircraft remain ground­ed and the aircraft country registry in UK CAA and Mexican Civil Aviation Authority [MCAA] will be notified as appropriate.

“The Legal and Enforcement department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will after the conclusion of the in­vestigation, proffer appropriate sanctions and enforcement procedure according to the Ni­gerian Civil Aviation Regulations.”

The director general of NCAA, Capt Muhtar Usman, however, reaffirmed that the agency which regulates the aviation industry, was committed to the enforcement of compli­ance to safety regulations and has zero toler­ance to any form of violation.

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