Bayelsa-owned airline gets air operator certificate

Pioneer Airline, Bayelsa State-owned has received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), clearing the airline to commence commercial flight operations.

The was disclosed in a post shared by Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, on his official X handle on Thursday.

“Yesterday, the Bayelsa State-owned airline named PIONEER AIRLINE was presented its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the regulator, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), signalling the beginning of its commercial operations,” he wrote.

Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, with the Pioneer airline management team. Photo: X | Festus Keyamo
The minister added that the airline team, led by Ungbuku, its Managing Director, later paid him a courtesy visit following the certification.

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Keyamo also linked the emergence of more state-owned airlines to reforms and policies introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“I remarked at the occasion that the rise in State-owned airlines is a result of excellent aviation policies put in place by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that we should look out for more of such in the immediate future.

“This would significantly assist air travellers to have more choices of airlines with which they can travel,” the minister said.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.