At least eight domestic airlines are currently grounded on the directives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority due to issues relating to Air Operator Certificate.
The affected carriers have been classified under “not-active, suspended or expired AOCs.”
The regulatory agency in a report listed the affected airlines as Associated Aviation Limited, Chanchangi Airlines Limited, Hak Air Limited, King Airlines and Travel Limited, Topbrass Aviation, FirstNation Airways, Kabo Air and Skyjet Aviation Services Limited.The report obtained from the NCAA also dthat “38 airlines were issued and re-issued the AOCs between February 3, 2016 and January 9, 2019.”
Eight of the 38 airlines have either expired, suspended or not-active AOCs that “have prevented them from operating as scheduled or charter flight operators.”
The report, however, listed domestic airlines with valid AOCs as Air Peace, Arik Air, Allied Air, Azman Air, Bristow Helicopters, Caverton Helicopters, Dana Air, Executive Jet, General Global Aviation, Max Air, Med-View Airline, OAS Helicopters, Omni-Blu Aviation, Overland Airways, West Link Airways and Quroum Aviation.
The document showed that Topbrass with AOC number TBA/AOC/11-11/03 issued on February 3, 2016 that expired on February 2, 2018 failed to renew the certificate. The airline had an issue with the NCAA over two aircraft it leased but allegedly failed to act according to the leasing agreements.
For FirstNation Airways, it suspended flight operations about two years ago after failing to lease an aircraft to improve its flight operations. It was later downgraded to non-scheduled operator from a scheduled status it was about three years ago.
The airline with the AOC certificate number: FNA/AOC/10-11/02 was re-issued the AOC on July 31, 2017 and was expected to remain active up until July 30, 2019, but it has remained “not-active” on the NCAA’s report.
Kabo Airlines is listed under the not-active AOCs. The airline, which does annual hajj operations to Saudi Arabia, has an AOC number: KAL/AOC/01-15/01 issued on January 30, 2017, which became not-active on January 29, 2019.
For Chanchangi Airlines, it suspended flight operations about seven years ago, and now placed under airlines with not-active AOCs.
The report showed that the airline’s AOC, renewed on February 5, 2017, expired on February 4, 2019, about two years after the carrier’s promoter, Alhaji Amadu Chanchangi, died.
Associated Aviation, which crashed shortly after takeoff at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos in 2013, is classified under airlines with suspended AOCs. Its ASS/AOC/06-15/001 issued on June 20, 2017 was meant to run up until June 19, 2019.
Source: Punch
