The Aviation Round Table (ART), an industry think-tank body, has expressed its disappointment with the actions of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Ministry for failing to follow laid down regulation in the grounding of Dana Air flight, which skidded off the runway on landing at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday.
The body said it was disappointed because what the Minister did was “contrary to law and process and to the promise of the Honorable Minister to respect both law and process, and to restore autonomy to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).”
ART said in a statement made available to THISDAY; that the suspension of the entire operations of Dana Airlines as directed by the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development “runs against these principles and indicates a return to the ugly past that destroys confidence in the industry and by the global community on the principles of an autonomous industry regulator, representing a threat to safety, security in the sector generally.”
“ART condemns the external interference demonstrated by the Minister’s directive which serves to erode the institutional autonomy and jeopardizes safety in the aviation sector. ART hereby reiterates its commitment to the non-negotiable autonomy of the NCAA as stated in Section 4 (3) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act,” it stated.
It also noted that the conduct of financial audits of airlines lies exclusively with the NCAA, adding that the decisions on what are appropriate sanctions for violations also lie with the NCAA exclusively.
“The ART hereby advises an immediate lifting of the suspension of the entire operation of Dana Airlines and demands an apology to the entire aviation community for the actions from the Minister and the Ministry while the NCAA / NSIB investigation continues on the affected MD 82 aircraft or fleet and the company Dana, for which the NCAA is expected to carry on its role and met the appropriate actions.
“ART also advises the Minister to concentrate his efforts on policy issues that positively impact the airline industry. ART also demands that other agencies be allowed to carry out their statutory obligations without interference, including the observed interferences at the federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). ART also requests that the Minister move promptly to appoint the required Boards to enable the smooth and properly guided operations of agencies.
“The ART commends the NCAA for the recent suspension of three non-schedule operators for operational infractions and urges the NCAA to make public, the list of the airlines concerned in the reported infractions for transparency as well as to highlight actions others must avoid to prevent the same outcomes,” the statement signed by the General Secretary, ART, Olumide Ohunayo, said.
