NCAA denies Omni-Blu AOC over conflict of interest

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) processes for Omn-Blu Aviation (OBA), which would enable it to operate as a scheduled operator.

Ombi-Blu currently operates as a chartered helicopter and jet company.

A letter to the Managing Director, OBA, with the reference number: NCAA/DOLTS/LRO/OBA/VOL I/O3323, from NCAA, dated October 3, 2023, and obtained by Nairametrics, indicated that the apex aviation regulatory body suspended the certification due to “conflict of interest.”

The Omni-Blu Aviation currently has two helicopters; an Agusta AW 139 and a Sirkorsky 76C++ for the oil and gas off-shore operations in its fleet, while it also operates and manages privately owned aircraft, including HS 125-850XP, Challenger 604 and Bell 407 Helicopter.

Conflict of Interest

According to the NCAA, the outcome of Phase Two of the certification exercise revealed that the airline’s major financier, Engr. Akin Olateru, is also presently the Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The letter also references the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Form, Form O-Ops002, Civil Aviation Act 2022, and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act 2022, emphasising Conflict of Interest regulations in the process.

• The letter partially reads: “As a result, the Authority has temporarily suspended the variation process and requested further clarification from Omniblu.
• “According to the Civil Aviation Act 2022, Paragraph 19 outlines categories of government officials affected by Conflict of Interest, including the Minister of Aviation, Governing Board Members, Director-General, and Ministry of Aviation and Authority employees.”

Contravention of Civil Aviation Act 2022

The letter noted that these individuals were prohibited from engaging in aviation enterprise management while in office, going by Paragraph 19 of the Civil Aviation Act 2022.

Paragraph 22 further reinforces this prohibition, preventing them from influencing actions or decisions impacting their financial interests in aviation enterprises.

There are five phases of AOC application. They are Pre-Application Phase, Formal Application Phase, Document Evaluation Phase, Demonstration and Inspection Phase and Certification Phase.

There are also reports that the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika is one of the financiers of the airline company.

Joint Venture

Earlier in the year, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tingo Incorporated, a United Kingdom-based company, Dozy Mmobuosi, had claimed that the company had entered into a Joint Venture and Mutual Cooperation Agreement (JVMC) in 2020 with Omni-Blue to set up an airline to be known as Omni-Tango Aviation Services in Nigeria.

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