Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority suspends Dana Airlines' air transport licence after audit

NIGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) officials have suspended the air transport licence (ATL) and air operator certificate (AOC) of Dana Airlines indefinitely following the carrier's inability to meet its financial obligations.

Of late, many Nigerian domestic airlines have been struggling in a hostile economic climate brought about by the high cost of aviation fuel and a scarcity of foreign exchange. They are struggling to remain afloat as aviation fuel is scare and they also lack the hard currency for repairs, spare parts and new aircraft.

Following a financial and economic health audit carried out on the airline by the NCAA, the regulatory authority decided to suspend its operations with effect from midnight yesterday. NCAA director-general, Captain Musa Nuhu, said the findings of an investigation revealed that Dana Airlines was no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.

Captain Nuhu added: “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."

A Dana spokesman said: “Our operations have been suspended as advised by NCAA in order to undergo a full operational audit with effect from midnight 20th July, 2022." This latest trouble began after an aircraft belonging to Dana Airlines made an emergency landing in Abuja on Tuesday after developing suspected engine problem mid-air.

Dana said the affected aircraft was an Abuja-bound Boeing 737 aircraft with registration number 5N DNA. Its management said all the 100 passengers onboard disembarked safely and that the aircraft has been grounded for immediate attention by their team of engineers.

It said the pilot of the aircraft briefed the passengers on the incident and landed the aircraft safely at the Abuja International airport at about 2.52 pm. This latest incident comes two months after the tyres of one of the aircraft operated by the airline caught fire at the Port Harcourt airport on May 2, terminating a scheduled trip to Lagos on that day.