The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has suspended Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, of Discovery Airways.
The suspension which affects the airlines all flights operations, would be in force pending the outcome of a comprehensive review of the Airlines operations to be carried out by NCAA.
Sam Adurogboye, Deputy General Manager, Public Relation, NCAA, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said that the Airline failed to carry out certain corrective actions “within one week from the 1st to 7th of January, 2015 as raised in an earlier letter to the operator”.
Adurogboye further said that “In pursuit of its oversight responsibilities as stipulated by law, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has lately carried out a review of the operations of some Domestic Airlines after which letters of warning or suspension of Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, were served on defaulters”.
While he assured that it was not the desire of the regulatory authority to regulate any Airline out of existence, Adurogboye added that “NCAA, however, viewed any violation of safety regulations seriously”.
It would be recalled that NCAA issued an AOC to Discovery Air on June 3, 2014 clearing the new airline for domestic operation immediately, at a short ceremony presided over by the then Acting Director-General, NCAA, Benedict Adeyileka.
Adeyileka at the AOC presentation ceremony in Lagos had told the board and management of the airline led by its Chairman, Babatunde Babalola, to be conscious of air safety, adding that it was essential for airlines to take this factor as key to their operations.
While charging the airline to always take up its responsibilities on time, he said NCAA was willing to support all airlines in Nigeria that were sensitive to the needs of the passengers.
“The NCAA is ready to support all airlines that keep to the necessary standards; our role is not to wipe airlines off the map, but to support them to grow. Compliance is very important in this business, and we want all airlines to ensure that they adhere strictly to this,” Adeyileka had stressed.
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