The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed that it has suspended Dana Airlines, Air Transport Licence, ATL and Air Operation Certificate (AOC) till further notice. The statement was made available yesterday, Wednesday through the office of the Director General of the NCAA, Capt Nuhu Musa. NCAA disclosed that its office had to suspend Dana Airlines after discovering the company could no longer cope with its financial obligation and safety of the passengers as stipulated by the law. According to the authority, the suspension was with immediate effect that is by midnight of 20th July 2022.
The statement partly reads; The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)has suspended Dana Airlines ‘Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) indefinitely, with effect from midnight of Wednesday,20th July 2022.
NCAA said.“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 (http://Nig.CARs), 2015.
“The decision is the outcome of a financial and economic health audit carried out on the airline by the authority, and the findings of an investigation conducted on the airline’s flight operations recently, which revealed that Dana Airlines is no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.
The NCAA explained that though it recognises the effect the suspension may have on the company and its passengers, the safety of the flight operation has to remain a priority if the safety of Nigerians is anything to go by.
It added that only this year, the Airline has reported two incidences with its aircraft.
Recall that on Tuesday, Dana made an emergency landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja although the 100 passengers on board were safely disembarked, and therefore, the authority could not leave everything to chance.
More so, In May, over 50 passengers were rescued when fire gutted the tyres of an aircraft operated by Dana Air in Port Harcourt.
Similarly, In 2012, the federal government also grounded Dana Air after its passenger plane carrying 153 people crashed in Lagos.