Chidi Ugwu
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has responded to the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by the United States, saying the report was misconceived and not true representation of the situation.
Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General Civil Aviation, in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday to address the misconception surrounding the alleged ban emphasized that the delisting of Nigeria from the Category One status by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in Nigeria’s oversight system.
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According to the NCAA boss, Nigeria attained Category One status in August 2010, which allowed Nigerian airlines 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).
However, with effect from September 2022, the U.S. FAA de-listed Category One countries that had no indigenous operator providing service to the U.S. or carrying the airline code of a U.S. operator within a 2-year period.
The NCAA clarified that Nigerian operators can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country with a current Category One status.
The NCAA also emphasized that it continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
The statement further noted that the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has been actively working to empower local operators to access the dry-lease market around the world, which included a visit to AIRBUS in France earlier this year and the signing of an MOU with BOEING in Seattle, Washington.
The Minister has also made efforts to ensure Nigeria’s full compliance with the Cape Town Convention, which will bring back the confidence of international lessors in the Nigerian aviation market.
The NCAA expressed confidence that with these steps taken by the Honourable Minister, it is only a matter of time before Nigeria not only regains but can also sustain its U.S. Category One status.
“The attention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has once again been drawn to a publication about the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by United States.
“Due to the wrong impression such news could create, it has become expedient that we put this report in its proper perspective.
“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 U.S.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 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) de-listed Category One countries who, after a 2-year period,had no indigenous operator provide service to the U.S. 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.
“It is important to clarify here that the de-listing of Nigeria has absolutely nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in our oversight system. Nigeria has undergone comprehensive ICAO Safety and Security Audits and recorded no Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SSeC)respectively.
“It is furthermore necessary to add that a NVigerian operator can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country who has a current Category One status.
“The NCAA continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This provision gives States complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories.
“Furthermore, it is in full realisation of this situation that has since prompted the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, to embark on an aggressive international campaign to empower our local operators to access the dry-lease market around the world which culminated in the visit to AIRBUS in France earlier this year and the MOU signed with BOEING in Seattle, Washington just last week.
“The Honourable Minister has also done a lot of work to make Nigeria comply fully with the Cape Town Convention which will bring back the confidence of international lessors in the Nigerian aviation market. 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 U.S. Category One status” reads the statement in part.
