Experts in the nation’s aviation sector have described the suspension of Dana Airline operations by the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over the incident of runway excursion by the airline at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday as gross interference in aviation safety processes and procedures.
LEADERSHIP reports that the runway excursion incident occurred around past 9am local time, thereby, leading to shutdown of the runway where the incident happened before it was re-opened later at night.
However, due to the incident, the minister, on Wednesday, directed the acting director general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, to suspend the operation of Dana Airline for a comprehensive audit.
In a letter dated 24th April, 2024 with reference number, PS/FMA/MA/S.121/VOL.1/99, titled, “Immediate Suspension Of Dana Airlines Pending Safety And Financial Health Audit’, signed by the permanent secretary, ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr Emmanuel Meribole, the minister said recent incidents involving DANA AIRLINE have raised serious concerns regarding both the safety and financial viability of the airlines’ operations.
The minister further disclosed that the audit of the airline should encompass all aspects of safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and financial health to ensure full compliance with our aviation regulations
However, aviation stakeholders lampooned the Aviation minister, saying he’s taking over the responsibility of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
Speaking, the general secretary, Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Olumide Ohunayo, said the decision of the minister was gross interference in safety processes and procedures of the aviation sector.
According to Ohunayo, the minister has already taken decisions about the airline even before NSIB releases results of its investigation of the incident.
He, however, demanded why Dana Airline was grounded when some other local airlines also skidded-off the runway earlier in the year.
“I see the minister’s intervention as gross interference in safety processes and procedures. The minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has no power to order the DG NCAA to suspend the airline because the NCAA DG is the leader of the industry on safety related issues.
“It’s a very wrong move, wrong decision. Like the Airbus marketing, this is another mistake from the minister. It’s another wrong step because if Dana Airline has any safety related issues, the nation should be told by the NCAA and the first thing the minister should do is to contact the NCAA because they certify all airlines for operations in Nigeria. The NCAA will examine their books again before coming up with a position of either grounding them or not. You cannot just ground them through a minister’s directive, that is wrong,” he explained.
Speaking further, Ohunayo argued that in the early part of the year, one of Delta airline Boeing 757 aircraft had its wheel nose pulled out and the airline wasn’t grounded.
“In the early part of this year, Delta airline’s Boeing 757 was about to take off when the wheel nose pulled out completely and Delta airline wasn’t grounded. Runway excursion shouldn’t be a reason for grounding the airline. There are other airlines that have excursions this year. Were they grounded? Why go for Dana? Why not look at the runway and as well remove debris from the runway instead of issuing a suspension letter,” he said.
Also speaking, the chief executive officer, Centurion Security and Safety Consult, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), said the minister lacks power to suspend the operations of Dana Airline.
Ojikutu, a former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said reports of the responsible agencies are yet to be out but the minister has already found the airline guilty.
“The minister has no such powers,” Capt. Ojikutu stated. He continued, “the International aviation community particularly International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is watching us and in particular the NCAA. I said it earlier that the minister has taken over not only as the Minister but more as the CEO of all the agencies. The reports of the responsible agencies are yet to be out and he has already found the airline negligent, how? He has made both the NCAA and NSIB irrelevant. This is another Institutional Corruption brewing out from the Aviation Industry.
“NCAA has autonomy on Safety Regulations Oversight and Enforcement. It also has responsibility to ensure the implementation of the NSIB safety recommendations. None of these belong to the Minister and his ministry except there are safety recommendations standing unimplemented by any of the operators. Somebody should tell the minister that when it comes to the statutory responsibilities of the NCAA and the NSIB, in the present case on the Dana aircraft veering off the runway, he has no job there.”
“Am not in support of the minister with his interference, it is the functions of the responsible agencies in Aviation. Note that the report of the incident or serious incident is not yet out to know what actually happened and the recommendations. This interference is Institutional Corruption,” Ojikutu stated.