NCAA Grants Pioneer Airline Certification for Unscheduled Flight Operations

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to Pioneer Airline, authorizing the carrier to conduct unscheduled flight operations.

The certificate was formally handed over to the airline’s management on Wednesday in Abuja by the NCAA Director-General, Capt. Chris Ona Najomo. During the presentation, Najomo tasked the airline’s management with maintaining strict compliance with established aviation safety standards. He further warned that NCAA operational officers would continue to closely monitor the company’s activities to ensure the highest level of professional practice.

Capt. Henry Ungbuku, Managing Director of Pioneer Airlines, attributed the successful acquisition of the certification, achieved in just over four months, to the airline’s operational readiness. Ungbuku explained the regulatory context behind the decision to pursue an unscheduled operations license.

“We currently have two aircraft, which are owned by the Bayelsa State Government,” said Ungbuku. “At the time we initiated the certification process, the regulations required a minimum of six aircraft for scheduled operations. Since we had only two, we applied for unscheduled operations, which covers charter services and group bookings.”

He noted that before the airline finalized the certification process, the NCAA reviewed its regulations and reduced the minimum aircraft requirement for scheduled operations from six to two. Despite this favorable change, Pioneer Airline proceeded to finalize the certification for unscheduled operations as originally submitted.