‘I’m coming for you’ – Keyamo reads riot act to unlicensed private jet operators doing commercial flight

• He warned private aircraft operators unlicensed to fly commercially to refrain from the act, saying such practice is making the Federal Government lose a lot of revenue

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo says private jet operators that are not licensed to operate commercial services but are doing so are sabotaging the nation’s economy.

He warned private aircraft operators unlicensed to fly commercially to refrain from  doing so, saying such practice is making the Federal Government lose a lot of revenue.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV on Monday, Keyamo said he would go after those involved in such illegal aviation activities.

He also disclosed that in terms of passengers’ safety, their regulation is low, saying he would come down hard on the owners of the private jet involved in such sharp practices very soon.

His words: “Almost all these private jets are operating commercially resulting in a huge loss of revenue for federal government because the licence to fly a private aircraft privately and the one to fly it commercially is so much.

“When it is commercial, the money paid to 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.

“However, the moment they are given, they carry passengers all over Nigeria doing six or eight flights a day. 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.

“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 federal government, ensure that the laws are kept and ensure the safety of Nigerians.”