Dana Air suspension: Our priority is to ensure safety of passengers, says ministry

The ministry of aviation says its priority is to ensure the safety and security of air passengers and cargoes.

James Odaudu, special assistant to the minister of aviation on public affairs, said this on Tuesday in an interview with NAN in Abuja.

Odaudu said the ministry and the agencies under its purview were working assiduously towards achieving the feat to boost the confidence and integrity of the aviation sector in the country.

His statement was in response to issues related to the withdrawal of Dana Air’s licences after it made an emergency landing last week, following a fault in its aircraft’s engine.

According to him, Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, has made the safety and security of the flying public paramount since he assumed office.

“Right from the inception of the administration, the minister of aviation, senator Hadi Sirika has placed emphasis on safety and security of passengers and cargoes,” Odaudu said.

“This is why any noticeable safety concern is thoroughly investigated and handled appropriately.”

Odaudu said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had to suspend Dana Air’s licences as a result of noticeable safety and financial concerns.

According to him, the suspension is to enable NCAA to carry out the necessary regulatory audit.

“If at the end of the process, the airline is found to be healthy, its services will resume,” he said.

“NCAA has said in a statement recently that Dana Air suspension is made pursuant to Section 35(2), 3(b) and (4) of Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3(a) (1) of Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015.”

On Aero Contractors’ suspension, he said the airline’s scheduled passenger flights were self-imposed as a result of inability to meet operational costs occasioned by the high cost of aviation fuel.

Odaudu added that Aero was, however, still operating charter and helicopter services and carrying out its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services.

Speaking on the suspension of the airlines, Mathew Pwajok, acting managing director, Nigerian Airspace Managing Agency (NAMA), said the exit of Dana Airline and Aero Contractors would have a negative impact on the national economy.

According to him, the downcast of the two airlines being currently handled by NCAA – a regulator for both economic oversight and airworthiness of the airlines – was a big concern to all relevant stakeholders in the industry.

“Anything that will affect the volume of flights is a negative to NAMA’s capability and revenue as NAMA does not manage empty airspace,” Pwajok said.

“In the absence of airlines, there is no airspace management agency. We will not have anything to manage. So, it is of concern to us to ensure that the airlines are operating.

“That is why we go about deploying latest facilities to upgrade our facilities to provide the service that is safe, secure, economical and efficient, and cost-effective to the airlines.

“That is to ensure that the airlines are doing well and stay in business and also keep us in business. We don’t have business if there are no airlines to manage.”

Pwajok further said the agency had recently intensified efforts to acquire sophisticated tools that were effective and efficient to reduce flight challenges in the Nigerian air space.

“On our own part, we have done a whole lot in terms of reducing flight time, fuel consumption for operators, and flight delays by automating most of our processes,” he said.

“And by implementing satellite base navigation to reduce flight time for the airlines, by implementing total radar coverage network to ensure that aircraft are safe and secure.

“This will reduce operating cost for the airlines and also ensure that they are comfortable and they can continue in the business.”