Two airlines grounded by NCAA for safety

First Nation Airline closed shop Thursday, a day after Aero Contractor also suspended operations and sent about 1400 workers on mandatory leave, a decision already generating labour furore now in the aviation industry.

Both are however shut down for safety purposes, according to authorities, though Acro claim it suspended flights due to the difficult business environment in the country.

The National Civil Aviation Authority announced on said First Nation had been ordered to shut down for mandatory maintenance.

The director-general, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Muhtar Usman, said in a statement that the indefinite suspension of operations by the airline followed its engine replacement programme involving one of the aircraft in its fleet.

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Mr. Usman said with another aircraft due for mandatory maintenance in line with NCAA’s regulations, the airline cannot continue its operations.

“In these circumstances, these airlines clearly cannot continue to undertake schedule operations, hence the inevitable recourse to self-regulatory suspension,” the NCAA boss said.

“It is against the Nigerian civil aviation regulations for airline operators to carry out scheduled commercial operations with only one aircraft.”

Usman noted the NCAA would not compromise safety and security of airlines operations in the airspace.

He said every facet of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) must be adhered to with due diligence.