The Federal Government has warned airlines to take proper insurance cover or risk strict sanctions.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) gave the warning after expressing worry about the lack of adequate insurance cover for aircraft and other service providers.

As a result, the agency has concluded plans to enforce regulations on insurance, threatening to ground defaulting carriers and service providers.

The authority demanded compliance with Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2022 on insurance cover to be maintained by all allied aviation services providers.

This directive is contained in an all-operator letter with reference NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/369 dated August 11, 2023, addressed to all airlines and allied aviation services providers by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu.

The compliance is sequel to the coming into force of Nig. CARs 2022 on July 10th, 2023 which makes it mandatory that all airlines comply with Part 18.14.1.1 of the regulat

Specifically, Part 18.14.1.1 of the regulations provides amongst others that all airlines and other allied aviation service providers must not operate without adequate and valid insurance cover; submitting to the authority copies of valid insurance certificates, evidence of payment of premium and other policy documents of insurance cover of not less than three months as specified in IS: 18.14.1.1 and having insurance document which must be adequate and renewed before the expiration of the current policy and be submitted to the NCAA as soon as it is renewed.

The authority stated that non-adherence to the regulation will attract immediate sanctions which will include the grounding of the specific aircraft and taking enforcement action against any airlines or service providers that defaulted.

He urged them to be guided accordingly to prevent the grounding of their operations.