Dana Airlines says it will come out stronger from the suspension of its operations by the aviation regulator.
DANA Airline Suspended indefinitely By NCAA, Promises To Come Back Stronger
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended Dana’s air transport licence (ATL) and air operator certificate (AOC) indefinitely on Wednesday.
The move, following an investigation by the apex regulatory body, saw to the immediate withdrawal of the airline’s Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) indefinitely, with effect from midnight of Wednesday, July 20, 2022.
You may remember that the airline had an air return on Tuesday afternoon at the Abuja Airport, and 100 passengers safely disembarked.
The airline, according to reports has also been dealing with internal issues, which forced Sukhjinder Paul Mann, the carrier’s deputy chief executive officer, to quit from his position after serving for around eight months.
The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu stated that the suspension was made pursuant to Section 35(2), 3(b) and (4) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and Part 1.3.3.3(a)(1) of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), 2015.
NCAA said it suspended the airline because of “its inability to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flights”.
In a statement on Thursday, Dana Air said it “understands the impact this suspension will have on thier partners, staff, passengers and the general public, they we are very confident that they would come out stronger as we have done in the past
Nuhu said: “The decision is the outcome of a financial and economic health audit carried out on the airline by the authority, and the findings of an investigation conducted on the airline’s flight operations recently, which revealed that Dana Air is no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.
“The NCAA acknowledges the negative effect this preemptive decision will have on the airline’s passengers and the travelling public and seeks their understanding, as the safety of flight operations takes priority over all other considerations,” Nuhu said.
Kingsley Ezenwa, the airline’s spokesperson, stated in a statement that he was ready to work with NCAA on this audit and to reassure clients and partners that “we are safe, efficient, and trustworthy.”
“The recent skyrocketing cost of Jet A1 at N830/litre, unavailability of forex, and inflation are also contributory factors to this decision regrettably.
“We crave the understanding and patience of our customers, travel and business partners and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience our short absence from the market might cause.
“Our customer service team will continue to operate 24/7 to assist affected customers with necessary information on refunds and our offices will be open to all our existing partners,” Ezenwa stated.
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