The Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it has sanctioned an
airline, Lyxor International, a non-schedule, general aviation operator
for violating the terms of an approved flight clearance for its type of
operation.
The
regulatory authority grounded the airline’s aircraft at the Nnamdi
Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on February 16, for the violation
of airspace regulation.
THISDAY
learnt that the aircraft owned by a foreign airline operated domestic
charter service, which is against the regulation, as the airline did not
secure any approval from NCAA to do so, and according to the rules,
foreign airlines cannot fly from one local airport to another, except on
peculiar circumstances when NCAA grants it such privilege.
According to
the Letter of Sanction written to the airline, “NCAA’s Aviation Safety
Inspectors (ASI) on the February 16, 2017, during a routine ramp
inspection of the airline’s Bombardier Challenger CL605 aircraft, found
it culpable of the infraction,” the agency noted in a statement signed
by its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye.
NCAA said
upon this discovery, the aircraft with registration marks, T7-YES was
immediately grounded by the Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) at the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA), Abuja.
However, the
aircraft was subsequently released after the payment of N3,000,000 on
volitional condition on account of possible civil sanction with an
undertaken to comply with any sanction applicable as a result of the
violation.
“Contained
in the Letter of Sanction, after due consideration of your response to
our Letter of Investigation (LOI), it was found unsatisfactory. We found
clear evidence from the flight records that the aircraft was operated
within the Nigerian airspace in violation of its flight clearances
between December 11, 2016 and February 15, 2017.
“Therefore,
in accordance with IS 1.3.3.3. Table 2 viii (6) of the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Regulations (Nig CARS 2015) you are hereby sanctioned for
failure to comply with the conditions of approved flight clearances for
non-schedule international air services. This provides for a moderate
civil penalty of N500,000 per violation.
“The airline
is hereby required to pay the sum of N6, 500,000 (i.e. N500, 000 x 13).
For the 13 times the aircraft ought to have flown out of Nigerian
airspace in compliance with the approved clearances but was stationed in
Nigeria,” the statement said.
NCAA noted
that in addition to the times the aircraft violated the approved routes,
the operator should pay moderate civil sanction of N3,000,000
(i.e.N500,000 x 6), while the respondent should pay the sum of
N6,500,000 having made a deposit of N3,000,000 towards possible
sanctions and it should pay the fine within seven days of receipt of the
letter.
The airline is expected to pay these fines within seven days of receipt of this letter.
Meanwhile,
the Director General of NCAA, Captain Muhtar Usman, has advocated for
regular interactions between the Regulatory Authority and all Airline
Operators of Nigeria (AON).
He made the call during a meeting penultimate week with the airline operators at his Aviation House office.
The meeting
was important to discuss various issues affecting the aviation industry
and proffer ways to build on the laudable gains so far.
Among the
issues that were deliberated upon was the directive by the NCAA to the
airlines to meet the deadline to join the automation platform for
seamless remittance of five per cent ticket and cargo sales charge.
Among other
issues was that airlines should take advantage of the window of Billing
Settlement Plan (BSP), Simulator training, Aircraft Inspection etc.
SOURCE:-www.thisdaylive.com
