The federal government has announced the suspension of Dana Air’s Air Operators Certificate.
This comes after an incident where a Dana Airplane from Abuja went off the runway at Lagos Airport and into a nearby field.
The plane, registered as 5N BKI, had 83 passengers on board who all safely disembarked along with the crew members.
Emergency responders and regulatory agencies quickly started an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
While waiting for the Nigerian Safety and Investigation Bureau’s findings, the NCAA stressed the importance of auditing the carrier’s operations.
The suspension of Dana Air’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was officially announced in a letter signed by Chris Najomo, the Acting Director of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The letter was referenced as NCAA/DGCA/DANA/1/24/001.
Before receiving the investigation report from the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, the NCAA had already begun an internal compliance assessment of the incident. This was due to Dana Air’s past involvement in similar occurrences.
The NCAA said: “As a precautionary step, and in accordance with Sec 31 (7) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Authority has imposed a suspension on your Air Operator Certificate (AOC) with effect from 24th April, 2024 at 23:59 to allow for a thorough safety and economic audit.
“The safety audit will entail re-inspection of your organisation, procedures, personnel, and aircraft as specified by Part 1.3.3.3 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, while the economic audit will critically examine your airline’s financial health to guarantee its capability to sustain safe flight operations.”
Previously, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, was unhappy about an incident involving a Dana aircraft.
Recently, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development sent a letter to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. This was confirmed by Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
The letter, which was obtained by the PUNCH on Wednesday, raised significant concerns about the safety and financial sustainability of Dana’s operations after a specific incident.
The letter read: “As the supervisor overseeing our nation’s aviation safety and regulatory compliance, it has come to the Honourable Minister’s attention that recent incidents involving Dana Airline.
“In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travellers, the Honourable Minister has directed that you immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted. This audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations.
