Aviators fault interference as FG grounds Dana Air operations

Smarting from the serious incident recorded by Dana Air on Tuesday, the Federal Government, yesterday, suspended the operating licence and operations of the airline, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The directive, which came from the Ministry of Aviation and not the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), immediately drew the ire of aviation stakeholders, who described the development as meddling with core air transport operations.

It will be recalled that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) had opened an investigation into the incident of the Dana Air plane that skidded off the runway in Lagos.

The Lagos-bound aircraft, with 83 passengers and six crew members onboard, had a runway excursion amid a heavy downpour Tuesday morning.

But in a letter yesterday, the ministry and aerospace development directed the NCAA to immediately shut down the operations of the airline.

The memo, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Emmanuel Meribole, noted that as the supervisor overseeing the nation’s aviation safety and regulatory compliance, “it has come to the minister’s attention that recent incidents involving Dana Airlines have raised serious concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of their operations.”

The letter further read that “In light of these incidents and with the paramount priority being the safety and well-being of our citizens and travellers, the Minister has directed that the NCAA immediately initiate the suspension of Dana Airline’s fleet until a comprehensive audit can be conducted.”

The ministry further directed that the audit should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations.

However, experts in the aviation sector have faulted the move, describing it as unprofessional and interfering with safety, contravening the autonomy of the NCAA as contained in Section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022.

Aviation security expert, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), noted that by the action, the minister has exceeded his limits.

Ojikutu said: “Let those who are close to him tell him that he has no such powers and the international aviation community, particularly the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is watching us and in particular the NCAA.

“I said earlier that he has taken over not only as the Minister but more as the CEO of all the agencies. The reports of the responsible agencies are yet to be out and he has already found the airline negligent, how? He has made both the NCAA and NSIB irrelevant.”

Apparently in agreement with Ojikutu, Secretary of the Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), Olumide Ohunayo, described the directive as a “gross interference in safety processes and procedures.”

Ohunayo said the ministry has no business with the airlines or ordering the Director General of NCAA, who is supposed to be the most powerful person in the industry and one who leads the industry.

“This is a wrong move and wrong decision. If Dana Air has safety-related issues, the NCAA should tell us. The NCAA is the one that certified these airlines. They should go and examine their books before coming up with the decision on whether to ground it or not. You can’t ground an airline based on the minister’s directive. This is very wrong,” Ohunayo said.

Similarly, the Institute Director at Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Prof. Anthony Kila, said the news of the grounding is unimpressive.

Kila added that the right intervention should be investigation and vigilance, stating: “What we need now is more businesses and movement, not less. Interventions should be coming from related agencies, not the ministry.”