The Enugu State Government-owned airline, Enugu Air, on Tuesday received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) after less than 6 months of operations in the aviation industry.
Presenting the Certificate to Enugu Air’s Accountable Manager/ CEO, Captain Tolu Ita, at NCAA headquarters, Abuja, the Agency’s Director-General, Captain Chris Najomo, commended Enugu Air for successful and timely completion of the rigorous certification process in just five months and three weeks, which is significantly faster than the typical industry timeline of 15 to 24 months.
Captain Najoma, applauding the state-owned airline, revealed that Enugu Air distinguished itself by commencing operations with a complete fleet of six aircraft, which is a rare feat for a newly certified airline in the country.
In response, the Accountable Manager/CEO of Enugu Air, Captain Tolu, expressed gratitude to NCAA for their professionalism and support throughout the certification process;
Also to the Enugu State Governor, Mbah, for the vision of Enugu Air and the enabling environment provided that made the record-breaking certification possible.
Captain Tolu further reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to building a reliable, efficient, and globally competitive carrier that would serve passengers with the highest standards of safety and service.
In his speech, the Commissioner for Transportation, Enugu State, Dr. Obi Ozor, revealed that Enugu Air remains a strategic component of Governor Peter Mbah’s broader transport and logistics transformation agenda aimed at unlocking economic opportunities across Enugu State, the wider South-East region, and Africa at large.
In light of this, Dr. Obi Ozor disclosed that the Enugu State Government plans to grow the Enugu Air fleet to 20 aircraft and commence regional operations before the end of 2026, in order to achieve its goal of connecting Enugu to key domestic and international markets while facilitating trade, tourism, investment, and mobility.
The Enugu Government entourage to NCAA to witness and receive the AOC includes the Board Chairman of Enugu Air, Barrister Ricky Agu; the Group Chief Executive Officer of XEJet Limited, Emmanuel Iza; the Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport, Iphie Ugonabo, and members of the Enugu Airline’s Management team.
An Air Operator Certificate is a mandatory, 24-month-renewable authorization issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
However, an AOC can be revoked if safety standards are not maintained or if the certificate is not used within 30 days for scheduled operations or 90 days for non-scheduled operations.
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