Contrary to a report yesterday that the Federal Government has placed a ban on the importation of private jets into the country, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, said rather than do that, the government was planning to encourage more private jet owners in the country in 2014.

Also, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, insisted that the government was not planning to place restriction on the numbers of imported jets in the country.

Both Oduah and Ekweremadu stated these yesterday at the commissioning of the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, NAA, Abuja.

Oduah noted that at present, there are about 50 private jet owners in the country, adding that the government was expecting an increase between now and next year.

She specifically said that the government expected a massive increase in the number of private jet owners which gave credence to the dedication of a terminal to the operators. Also, Ekweremadu noted that there was no basis for the government to place a ban on the importation of private jets into the country.

He argued that at present in the United States, there are over 2,000 private jet owners in the country while they are less than 50 in Nigeria.

He, however, appealed to the government to provide the same comfort provided for jet owners with the dedication of the GAT to other passengers of commercial airlines, stressing that by so doing, government would have created comfort for all users of the airport despite their classes.
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/fg-expects-more-private-jet-owners-in-2014-minister/