NCAA to sanction airline owners, operators for flying into prohibited areas

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said it would sanction airline owners and operators for flying into restricted areas in the country.

In a letter to operators and owners by the authority titled, ‘Warning to All Operators Against Flying Into Restricted and Prohibited Areas,’ the authority stated that in receipt of a letter from the office of the national security adviser, reporting a sighting of an unknown aircraft flying over the presidential villa.

“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority wishes to refer to Part 8.8.1.21 of Nig.CARs which states that ‘No person must operate an aircraft in a prohibited area or in a restricted area, the particulars of which have been duly published, except in accordance to the condition of the restriction or by permission of the State over whose territory the areas are established.”

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The letter reads that such violations shall be liable to sanction, persecution or both by the authority.

The authority further stated that the intruding aircraft may risk being met with dire consequences.

The authority in the letter stated that all aircraft owners and operators should advise their crew to obtain thorough weather before the flight and adhere strictly to air traffic control instructions to avoid flying into restricted or prohibited areas.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.