LAGOS, NIGERIA — The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has suspended all Boeing B737 operations of domestic carrier, Max Air, effective immediately.
This comes following several safety incidents involving Max Air’s fleet of Boeing B737 aircraft.
The directive was detailed in a letter sent by the NCAA to the domestic airline, dated July 12, 2023.
The letter, titled ‘Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect’, was signed by NCAA Director of Operations, Training, and Licensing, Capt. Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, on behalf of NCAA Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu.
The suspension implies a halt on all domestic flights of the airline until further notice, likely disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers across the country.
The NCAA letter outlined several significant safety incidents as grounds for the suspension, stating, “The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder.”
Incidents include a “loss of Number 1 Main Landing Gear (MLG) wheel during the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD” and a “fuel contamination of the main fuel tanks of aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM, leading to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) shutdown.”
It also referred to an “aborted take-off of Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD,” and an “air return by aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, due to duct overheat indication in the cockpit.”
The letter concluded with a notice that the NCAA has “constituted a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of your organization.”
The outcome of the audit, it said, must be found satisfactory by the Authority before considering the restoration of the privileges of the operations to Max Air.
This suspension underscores the commitment of the NCAA to ensuring air safety and maintaining stringent oversight of all domestic airlines.
As Max Air navigates this turbulent time, the country waits to see what the audit’s results will reveal about the safety of its aircraft operations.
