Review 22-year-old aircraft age rule, stakeholders tell govt

Stakeholders in the aviation sector have called for a review of the age limit of 22 on planes, arguing that the rules are outdated and counterproductive.

Aviation Round Table member Olumide Ohunayo stressed that the regulation, initially introduced to restrict scheduled flights, inadvertently led to an increase in illegal flights by private jet operators.

He explained that this rule reduced the number of available aircraft by limiting flight operations to specific airports, which made some of those airports economically unviable.

He said: “We need to change this rule. It has increased the number of illegal flights by private jet owners because this rule applies to scheduled flights and that has reduced the number of aircraft available. It has also reduced flight operations at some airports that we have made unprofitable.”

Ohunayo said many of the old aircraft in service had undergone significant modernisation and yet they were still not allowed to fly into Nigeria.

“Most people (airlines) have gone to improve what they have, added new features to make these planes more modern. But because we have strict rules about this 22-year age limit, such planes, regardless of modernization, cannot enter the country.

“We have airlines, especially from the United States, flying to Nigeria with aircraft that are over 22 years old. But our agency says we can’t bring them in, which limits the options for operators. And when you limit their options, you increase their costs, which in turn increases the ticket prices.”

Ohunayo called for the rule to be repealed, noting that it was introduced at a time of heightened concern following a number of air crashes but was not directly related to the age of the planes.

“The crisis had nothing to do with age per se, but with regulation and the regulator. Now that we have strict regulations and a competent regulator, I believe this rule should be repealed once and for all,” he said.

Another seasoned aviator in the sector, Capt. Roland Iyayi, criticised the inconsistency in allowing older foreign-registered aircraft to fly in Nigerian airspace while preventing them from being registered in the country.

He pointed out that some aircraft deemed too old by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority are still flying safely in Nigerian airspace.

“Did any of them fall from the sky? They’re shooting themselves in the foot,” he said.

Iyayi further explained that many of these older aircraft were low-utilization aircraft, with far fewer flight hours than passenger planes. He highlighted the financial difficulties faced by operators, stating that while some could afford older aircraft for around $2 million, newer aircraft cost more than $10 million.

This disparity, he argued, forces operators to register their aircraft abroad, which amounts to illegal activity. “People will buy older aircraft, register them on foreign registries and engage in illegal charters. Why don’t they lower the age threshold for these operators and allow them to enter the market legally?”

He also stressed that maintaining these aircraft under a foreign license limits Nigeria’s ability to monitor their operations.

“Only when they are deregistered and put on the Nigerian register can you have full control over them. But because they are registered abroad, you have no authority to supervise them in your airspace,” he said.