The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo has directed the grounding of the operations of Dana Air after the airline’s aircraft skidded off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday.
In a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole, “[The Minister,] 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,”
The Minister also directed the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to comprehensively audit the operations of Dana Air to protect the safety of Air users.
What Happened?
On Tuesday, April 23, a Dana Air flight, carrying 83 passengers with registration number 5N BKI, encountered a runway excursion at Lagos Murtala Mohammed Airport while en route from Abuja to Lagos.
Dana Air confirmed the incident in a statement, assuring that all passengers were safely disembarked without any injuries. The incident was promptly reported to both the Nigerian Safety Investigation Board (NSIB) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Additionally, the airline mentioned that the aircraft had been grounded by the maintenance team pending further investigation.
Expressing regret for the inconvenience caused, Dana Air has extended apologies to the affected passengers and commended their patience during the incident. They also conveyed gratitude to the airport authorities for their swift response.
Reactions
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has issued a statement confirming the incident. “The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority wishes to inform the public that on 23rd April 2024, at approximately 08:25, a Dana Airline aircraft experienced a runway excursion,” the statement read.
The NCAA added that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has initiated an investigation into the incident, and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ensuring a safe and secure aviation sector. In line with this commitment, the Authority will prioritize the implementation of the safety recommendations arising from the NSIB investigation and conduct its in-house safety assessment of the incident.
Other Details
This is not the first time Dana Air has been grounded. On July 20th, 2022, the NCAA suspended Dana Air’s operations due to the airline’s failure to meet financial obligations and ensure safe flight operations. Operations resumed on November 9th, 2022, following clearance by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), approximately 15 weeks after the initial suspension.
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