‘I’m Coming For You’ – Keyamo Tells Unlicensed Private Jet Operators

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has issued a stern warning against private jet operators conducting unauthorized commercial flights, describing the practice as a safety risk and economic sabotage.

Naija News reports that Keyamo, during an appearance on Newsnight, a program on Channels TV, expressed his determination to enforce regulations and curb the loss of federal revenue caused by these activities.

Keyamo highlighted the significant financial discrepancies between private and commercial aircraft operations licensing.

He explained that many operators falsely register their jets for private use to avoid the higher fees associated with commercial licenses, only to operate them commercially.

“Almost all these private jets are operating commercially, resulting in a huge loss of revenue for the federal government because the license to fly a private aircraft privately and the one to fly it commercially is so much,” Keyamo stated.

The minister emphasized the dual risks these illicit operations pose: compromised passenger safety due to lower regulatory standards and substantial revenue losses for the government.

“When it is commercial, the money paid to the federal government is so much. So, people now take licenses from us to say I have just bought a private jet and I want to be using it for my business or to fly my friends and family, and we give them at a very low fee,” he explained.

Keyamo directly warned those involved in these practices, stating, “This is a notice to them on camera, I am coming for them because the president has given us a marching order, and we are not going to allow it.”

With plans to initiate stringent enforcement actions, the minister vowed to apply the law indiscriminately, regardless of personal connections to high-profile individuals, including friends of the president.

“First, in terms of passengers’ safety, the regulation is low. Second, it is economic sabotage and I won’t allow that to happen. People who are my friend or the president’s friends, we will come down on them and, perhaps, ground all their planes.

“We will come very hard on them. In a matter of days or weeks, we are going to come down on them because we have to raise revenue for the federal government, ensure that the laws are kept, and ensure the safety of Nigerians,” Keyamo stated further.