Nigeria Air, the country’s flag carrier, was denied certification to proceed to “phase two” of the Air Operator’s Certificate procedure by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) (AOC).
The airline unveiled its aircraft in Abuja two weeks prior.
The NCAA wrote a letter headed “Request to proceed to phase two of AOC certification” to Nigeria Air’s management on Friday, implying that the certification process cannot continue without a “formal application form” and other “required documentation.”
“The authorities received your May 25, 2023 letter on the aforesaid subject. “Quite contrary to our earlier letter of May 16 2023, which enumerated the documents to be submitted with the formal application form OPS 002, your letter of request to proceed to phase two has no formal application form and the necessary documents referenced in the formal application form,” the NCAA said.
The authority stressed that the disputed national carrier’s certification could only proceed to phase two with these documents.
The NCAA letter warned post holders that their three-month commitment letters to Nigeria Air expire now.
AOC certification
An aviation operator can operate aircraft for business reasons with CAA AOC certification.
Before being granted a licence, the aircraft operator must have personnel, assets, and systems to ensure employee and public safety.
The certificate often specifies aircraft types, registrations, purposes, and locations.
The NCAA requires five steps for AOC accreditation in Nigeria.
In the first phase, the NCAA selects a certification team and processes the
Pre-application intent form (AC-OPS 001). It also covers regulatory requirements, the formal application and attachments, and other difficulties. Officially, it takes a week.
In the second phase, intending entrants must submit documents and manuals, including the curriculum vitae of key management employees, for examination. This phase must be completed within two weeks.
Document evaluation follows. The NCAA will analyse the applicant’s manuals and other materials and attachments for three months to ensure compliance with regulations and safe operating practices.
Demonstrations and inspections follow this. After a successful documentation examination, it is a crucial step.
The certification team will audit the applicant’s premises to check that the proposed procedures are effective and that the applicant’s facilities and equipment meet NCAA regulations.
Phase four includes emergency evacuation and ditching demonstrations, followed by a demonstration flight. This phase requires two months.
Certification is the fifth and final phase. The NCAA will grant the AOC with the relevant specifications and ratings once the airline meets civil aviation (air navigation) regulations.
The applicant can start commercial aviation in Nigeria after receiving the AOC, which takes a week.
Concerns
The NCAA’s denial of the airline’s proposal revives the controversies surrounding the national carrier’s launch under Muhammadu Buhari.
Former Aviation minister Hadi Sirika frequently assured Nigerians that the national carrier would begin operations before President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, three weeks before.
The minister unveiled the airline’s aircraft three days before resigning, saying the NCAA would approve operations. Aviation experts were concerned.
The NCAA’s denial letter indicates inadequate airline planning.
Numerous calls and texts to NCAA spokesperson Sam Adurogboye and Director General Shuaibu Nuhu for clarification went unanswered.
Nigeria Air official Adewale Arogundade, who received the NCAA letter, denied comment when approached by this publication.
Existing issues
Nigeria Air, the prospective national carrier, was launched at the Farnborough Air Show in England on July 18, 2018. Critics raised worries about its relevance and sustainability; thus, the initiative was abandoned two months after being launched.
The airline estimated $8.8 million in preliminary expenditures and $300 million in take-off costs. The national carrier notion was proposed many years after Nigeria Airways folded due to corruption and poor management.
The Federal Executive Council approved leasing three aircraft in July 2022 to start the airline.
At a press announcement in Abuja last September, Mr Sirika announced that Ethiopian Airlines had acquired a 49% stake in Nigeria Air.
Local airlines sued, claiming they could run Nigerian Air better than a foreign airline. Some local airlines are still suing to ban the federal government from cooperating with Ethiopian Airlines to float the national carrier.
This Monday, the minister showcased one Ethiopian Airlines aircraft. On social media, Nigerians questioned Mr Sirika’s management of the airline’s intended operation.
