The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued updated guidelines on 9 November 2018 tightening the process by which domestic airlines could wet-lease aircraft and crew from other operators to cover short-term capacity shortfalls.
Responding to Ad Hoc Arrangements
The move followed several instances earlier in the year in which carriers had arranged wet leases on short notice, at times with incomplete documentation, to keep schedules running through unexpected groundings or maintenance delays.
Clearer Approval Timelines
Under the new guidance, airlines seeking to wet-lease capacity were required to submit documentation within set timelines ahead of the lease start date, giving the regulator more consistent visibility over which aircraft and crews were operating under Nigerian air operator certificates at any given time.