Dana Air Reacts To Suspension By NCAA, Says Jet A1 Cost, Forex Scarcity Responsible

The management of Dana Air, on Thursday, disclosed that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended its operations in order for the Airline to undergo a full operational audit from midnight of July 20, 2022.

Responding to the suspension of their operations, the management of the Dana Air blamed the recent skyrocketing cost of aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1 at 830/litre, unavailability of forex and inflation, as the reasons behind NCAA’s action.

Recall that the director-general of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, had on Wednesday night, announced the suspension of Dana Airlines’ Air Transport Licence (ATL) and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) indefinitely, with effect from midnight of Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

The suspension, according to NCAA, 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.

He 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 Airlines 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.”

Meanwhile, the Airline has also expressed readiness and commitment to the cause of the audit, saying Dana Air is safe, efficient and reliable.

The statement reads, “our operations have been suspended as advised by the NCAA in order to undergo a full operational audit with effect from midnight 20th July, 2022. Operational audits are regulatory and airlines are obligated to suspend their operations when the NCAA calls for it and we understand the impact this suspension will have on our partners, staff, passengers and the general public but we are very confident that we would come out stronger as we have done in the past.

“We wish to assure the NCAA that we are fully ready and committed to cooperating with them in the course of this audit and to also reassure our customers and partners that we are safe, efficient and reliable.”

“The recent skyrocketing cost of Jet A1 at 830/litre, unavailability of forex, inflation are also contributory factors to this decision regrettably.

“We crave the understanding and patience of our customers, travel and business partners and sincerely apologize 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.”