Managing Director of newly certified Pioneer Airline, Capt. Henry Ungbuku, has said the process of acquiring an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was very stringent.
Capt. Ungbuku spoke on Thursday at the Government House, Yenagoa, after presenting the certificate to Governor Douye Diri.
A statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said the airline is expected to commence flight operations at the Bayelsa airport on May 25.
The Governor Diri administration had last year acquired two aircraft under an agreement with Pioneer Airline.
One of the planes, an ATR 72-600, had its inaugural flight on November 26, 2025 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to the Bayelsa International Airport and then had to undergo the NCAA certification process for commercial flight operations.
Accompanied by the Managing Director of the Bayelsa State International Airport, Air Vice Marshal Nelson Calmday (rtd), Ungbuku said the airline achieved the feat in four and a half months with the support of the state government.
He said the process, which typically takes between eight months and two years, was completed in record time.
He also explained that Pioneer as a privately-owned carrier has a dry lease agreement with the Bayelsa government and that ticket bookings will open within a seven to ten-day window ahead of the May 25 launch date.
“At our meeting with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Honourable Minister of Aviation in Abuja on Wednesday, they confirmed that Pioneer Airline is the fastest to get an Air Operator Certificate in Nigeria. Normally, it takes between eight months and two years. But we got it in four and a half months,” Ungbuku said.
He credited the record-breaking process to Governor Diri’s consistent push to ensure flights begin from Bayelsa, and thanked the governor for the support to obtain the certificate.
“We came today to say thank you, Your Excellency, for all the support you have given us.
“The Bayelsa government owns the assets and Pioneer will pay monthly lease rentals to use them to generate revenue. For now, the aircraft will operate under Pioneer Airline. The approval to brand them as Bayelsa Air is still pending with the NCAA.
“It is not a direct scheduled service yet. However, you can book through designated ticketing and travel agencies or arrange group bookings and charter to anywhere in Nigeria. If you want an aircraft to fly to Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna or anywhere today, we are ready to fly,” Ungbuku stated.
