Federal Government Set to Ground 60 Private Jets Today

In a final attempt to recover billions of naira in unpaid import duties, the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), is preparing to ground over 60 private jets owned by prominent individuals and companies across Nigeria.continue Reading>>>

The NCS has formally requested the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency to deny flight clearance for these jets until their duties are fully paid.This enforcement action, starting today, follows an in-depth verification process conducted between June and July this year.

According to POLITICS NIGERIA, the NCS identified private jets that have evaded paying import duties by exploiting regulatory loopholes.The one-month verification exercise aimed to uncover private aircraft improperly imported without the necessary documentation and ensure the collection of due revenue.

The results showed that many private jets in the country had not paid their required import duties.Records reveal that private jets belonging to influential businesspeople, bank chairmen, and executives are among those to be grounded.

Most of the planes are foreign-registered but owned by Nigerians.Some of the luxury aircraft listed include models like Bombardier Challenger 604 CL-600-2B16, Bombardier Challenger 3500, Bombardier BD-700 Global 6000, Bombardier BD-700 Global 6500, and Bombardier BD-700 Global 7500.Each Bombardier BD-700 Global 7500 jet costs over $70 million, while the Global 6500 and 6000 models are valued at over $50 million.continue Reading>>>

Eleven private jet owners have already been notified of the impending grounding, with 55 more letters to be issued today.While some jet owners have lobbied the Presidency for intervention, the government has refused to interfere.

As a result, some operators have begun paying their outstanding import duties.The enforcement is expected to generate significant revenue for the government, with estimates suggesting collections could exceed N260 billion.