The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the reason for the de-listing of Nigerian airlines by the United States, emphasising that the de-listing of Nigeria’s Category One status is not due to any safety or security deficiencies.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the NCAA explained that Nigeria was de-listed by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2022 because no Nigerian airline had operated flights into the US within a two-year period.
“Nigeria was de-listed since 2022 and was duly informed of this action,” said Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation. He stressed that the de-listing was not linked to any safety concerns, clarifying, that “the de-listing of Nigeria has absolutely nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in our oversight system.”
To provide more clarification, the statement read, “To operate into the United States of America, Nigeria like most countries must satisfactorily pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Programme and attain Category 1 status. Upon attaining this status, Nigerian airlines would be permitted to operate Nigerian registered aircraft and dry-leased foreign registered aircraft into the United States, in line with the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
“The first time Nigeria attained Category One Status was in August 2010. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted another safety assessment on Nigeria in 2014. A further safety assessment was conducted on Nigeria in 2017, after which Nigeria retained her Category One status.
“However, with effect from September, 2022, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) de-listed Category One countries who, after a 2-year period, had no indigenous operator provide service to the US or carrying the airline code of a U.S operator. Also removed from the Category One list were countries who the FAA was not providing technical assistance to based on identified areas of non-compliance to international standards for safety oversight.
“No Nigerian operator has provided service into the United States using a Nigerian registered aircraft within the 2-year period preceding September, 2022 so it was expected that Nigeria would be de-listed as were other countries who fell within this category. Nigeria was, therefore, de-listed since 2022 and was duly informed of this action in 2022.”
Despite the de-listing, Nigerian airlines retain the ability to operate into the US through wet-leased aircraft from countries with current Category One status. Highlighting future prospects, Najomo mentioned the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo,’s efforts as he said, “The Honourable Minister has embarked on an aggressive international campaign to empower our local operators to access the dry-lease market around the world.”
Keyamo’s initiatives include a recent visit to Airbus in France and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Additionally, efforts to comply with the Cape Town Convention aim to restore international confidence in Nigeria’s aviation market. Najomo concluded, “We are confident that with these steps of the Honourable Minister, it is only a matter of time that Nigeria, not only regains, but can sustain its US Category One status.”
Najomo pointed out that the country has successfully passed several International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audits, recording no “Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SSeC).”
The NCAA concluded by reaffirming its commitment to international safety and security standards, underscoring Nigeria’s continued compliance with global aviation regulations.
The press statement came after it was announced that Nigeria had been delisted from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One Status (USFAA CAT 1) International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme (IASA).
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