Controversy Erupts as NCAA, Arik Air Clash Over Aircraft Grounding

Controversy has trailed the claim by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that it did not suspend the operations of Arik Air.

The NCAA had issued a statement through its Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, explaining that it did not suspend the airline’s operations but only grounded the aircraft in its fleet in accordance with court order.

The NCAA said: “It is important to clarify that the action does not include the suspension of Arik Air’s overall operations by either the NCAA or the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development as claimed in some quarters.

“The NCAA is duty-bound to comply with the court order attaching Arik Air’s aircraft (5NMJF; 5NMJQ; 5NBKX) following the determination of its case at the Supreme Court and to ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards.

“The NCAA reiterates that it has not suspended or halted Arik Air’s flight operations, which continue as scheduled and do not affect the airline’s ability to operate its remaining fleet.”

But multiple sources within Arik Air, who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity, accused the NCAA of mischief for denying that it did not ground the airline’s operations.  

“NCAA is being clever by half because it knows that it has grounded all its fleet. The statement issued by the NCAA referred to three aircraft, but the court directed the grounding of its four aircraft.

 “The airline has three operational aircraft: One Boeing B737-800; another Boeing B737-700; one Bombardier Dash 8-Q400, which is fully operational; and one standby aircraft, a Bombardier Dash 8-Q400.

“NCAA is trying to create the impression that it has not suspended our operations when it knows that it has grounded all our fleet, citing Court order,” one of the sources explained.

“We have three operational aircraft and one standby aircraft. The court said that our four aircraft should be grounded. The minister gave the directive, implemented by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which failed to give our aircraft startup and issued a release on that; yet, NCAA is pretending as if we have other aircraft in addition to what have been grounded,” another source said.

According to him, the acting Director General of NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, was a staff of NCAA, who knows everything about Arik Air.

Arik Air has a flight services contract with Chevron.

But one of the sources told THISDAY that with the grounding of its fleet, the airline cannot carry out the flight shuttle service.

The source said that the airline cannot provide alternative equipment, except the one audited and approved by Chevron because “the oil company is very meticulous and very safety conscious.”

On Tuesday, NAMA issued a statement explaining that in line with the court order, it had to ground four aircraft in Arik Air’s fleet, pending the resolution of the case between Arik Air and Atlas Petroleum.

Chinedu Eze

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