The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has clarified the reasons behind Nigeria’s loss of its Category 1 aviation status, which has disqualified Nigerian airlines from operating flights to the United States.
The NCAA stated that the reason was not due to any safety or security deficiencies within Nigeria’s aviation oversight.
The Acting Director General of NCAA Capt. Chris Najomo explained that Nigeria, like other countries, must pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment to maintain Category 1 status, which allows Nigerian-registered and dry-leased foreign aircraft to operate flights to the U.S. Nigeria first achieved this status in August 2010 and retained it after assessments in 2014 and 2017.
However, in September 2022, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration delisted Nigeria due to the absence of any Nigerian operators flying to the U.S. within the preceding two years.
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The NCAA stressed that the delisting was anticipated and had no relation to safety concerns. Additionally, the agency noted that Nigerian airlines could still operate to the U.S. using wet-leased aircraft from Category 1 countries.
The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining international safety standards and highlighted ongoing efforts by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, to regain and sustain Nigeria’s Category 1 status through international collaborations and regulatory improvements.
Recall that NCAA announced the release of a draft State Safety Program, SSP, a comprehensive framework aimed at enhancing aviation safety across the country, an achievement symbolizing a significant step towards Nigeria’s full-scale program implementation, aligning with the stringent requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO.
Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority is the regulatory body for aviation in Nigeria. It became autonomous with the passing into law of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 by the National Assembly and assent of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Act not only empowers the Authority to regulate Aviation Safety without political interference, but also to carry out oversight functions of Airports, Airspace, Meteorological Services, as well as economic regulations of the industry.
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