By Uche Mbah
Nigeria’s troubled Aviation industry woke up Thursday to discover that Dana air, one of the few reliable local airlines, has been suspended indefinitely by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
The action came as a shock to aviation experts bearing in mind that another major airline, Aerocontractors had been grounded just few days ago.
In a statement released by the aviation regulator late Wednesday, the Director-general of NCAA Musa Nuhu, said the suspension is in accordance with the nation’s Aviation Act.
“The suspension was made pursuant to Section 35(2), 3(b) and (4) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3(a)(1) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015,” Nuhu said.
A comprehensive audit has been carried out on the airline which found the health of the airline below par, as the airline was found to be in no position to meet its financial obligations to the regulatory agency.
It has become a risk for the airline to continue to operate, the report said.
“The NCAA acknowledges the negative effect this pre-emptive decision will have on the airline’s passengers and the travelling public and seeks their understanding, as the safety of flight operations takes priority over all other considerations,” Nuhu added
He explained that the decision has been communicated to the airline.
The suspension of the airline comes at a time when the aviation industry is still reeling under the economic aftermath of Covid 19 pandemic, compounded with the Jet A1 aviation fuel scarcity.
NCAA decision to ground the airline will undoubtedly bring more woes to air travelers as forex scarcity continues to hamper arilines’ operations, experts in the sector say.
Last Monday, Aero Contractors temporarily suspended its scheduled passenger services operations, a decision it said is purely internal.
According to the airline, its decision to suspend operations, was “due to the impact of the challenging operating environment” on its routine operations. The suspension took effect on Wednesday.
“This does not in any way affect the Maintenance activities of the Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) otherwise known as AeroMRO, the Approved Training Organisation (ATO) also known as Aero Training School, the Helicopter and Charter Services operations.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to our esteemed customers and promise to return to service as soon as possible,” it said.
According to the management, “This decision was carefully considered and taken due to the fact that most of our aircraft are currently undergoing maintenance, resulting in our inability to offer a seamless and efficient service to our esteemed customers.
“We are working to bring these aircraft back to service in the next few weeks, so we can continue to offer our passengers the safe, efficient, and reliable services that Aero Contractors is known for, which is the hallmark of Aero Contractors Company of Nig. Ltd.”
