Azman Air was suspended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Thursday for failing to renew its Air Operator Certificate (AOC).
The suspension comes just a few months after the NCAA suspended Dana Air’s AOC due to frequent incidents, Leadership reports.
As of 10:43 a.m. on Thursday, all flights into and out of the airline’s routes are not on schedule, according to the airline’s website.
However, it was discovered that the airline’s AOC had expired in the first quarter of 2022, and that the regulatory agency, through its inspectors, had been working with the airline on the renewal process, which the airline had consistently failed.
It was also learned that, prior to the regulatory agency suspending the airline’s operating license, the Directorate of Air Transport Regulation (DATR), a department within NCAA, had written a reminder letter to Azman Air’s management and issued it a 30-day ultimatum to comply with industry standards, but it failed to comply.
With the suspension of Azman Air, three commercial airlines have ceased operations in the last three months.
First, Aero Contractor, also known as Jet A1, announced the suspension of its operations, citing a lack of forex and an increase in the cost of aviation fuel.
In addition, the NCAA suspended Dana Air due to safety concerns, followed by Azman Air due to failure to renew its AOC.
Attempts to obtain confirmation from Azman Air’s chairman, Alhaji Abdulmunaf Sarina, proved futile because text messages sent to his phone were not returned.
Calls to the NCAA’s director general, Capt. Musa Nuhu, were not connecting because our correspondent was asked to leave a voice message at press time.
(Leadership)
