The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has ordered the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend Dana Air, a day after one of the airline’s planes skidded off the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos runway.
Keyamo noted this in a letter to the NCAA Director-General titled ‘Immediate Suspension of Dana Air Pending Safety and Financial Health Audit’, the minister said the move was necessary to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.
This followed the incident on Tuesday, were Dana Air aircraft, with 83 passengers and registration number 5N BKI flying from Abuja to Lagos, suffered a runway excursion at the Lagos Murtala Mohammed airport.
The incident led to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to temporarily shut down runway 18L/36R at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos from flight operations.
The runway was reopened on Wednesday morning after FAAN’s emergency response team evacuated, and recovered the aircraft from the site.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, announced this in a statement.
In reaction the minister of Aviation ordered a comprehensive audit of the airline. The audit will encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with the aviation sector’s regulations.
He said, “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 have raised serious concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of their operations,” read part of the letter signed by the Permanent Secretary to the Minister, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole.
“In light of these incidents, arid 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.”
Keyamo explained that the recent incident underscored the urgency of the matter, and the need for swift and decisive action to be taken to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders involved.
“I trust in your expertise and diligence in carrying out this audit thoroughly and expeditiously. Please keep me informed of the progress and any significant findings throughout this process,” he added.
