WILL it be business as usual for dana Air following the restoration of its operating licence?
The signs are that the airline still has a lot to contend with before returning to business.
The airline’s operation was suspended following the crash of its flight D-992 in Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb in which 153 persons died.
Some of the victims families, it was learnt, are planning a suit to stop the airline from resuming operations.
The airline has to grapple with how to rebuild passengers’ confidence on the use of the McDonnel Douglass 83 type aircraft for its operations. The plane had lost two engines few minutes to landing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Some passengers, who spoke to The Nation, expressed reservations over their patronage of the airline, if its management sticks to the use of the aircraft.
They urged the airline management to consider choosing another aircraft type , which they said would boost passengers’ confidence .
Another challenge the airline may face is the delay in the payment of compensation to families of victims that died in the crash.
According to the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, the airline has only paid 62 of the 153 families that died in the crash. He gave reasons why the delay.
Demuren cited the slow pace of identification of victims bodies; the need to ensure that documentation is tidy by appropriate identification of the right person to pay and prevention of multiple claims.
He said the payment of 91 other families may take some time because of litigation, as some families in the United Kingdom, United States and other parts of the world have gone to court over the crash.
Demuren also confirmed that Dana because of its aircraft type may have to go through recertification before it resumes operations so as to allow the authorities ascertain that everything is technically fit with the aircraft.
He said : “ We cannot say how soon Dana will resume operations . We cannot say, the airline has been working hard, but, we have to ensure that everything is in order, especially ensuring that most of the dead are buried. We have to ensure that there is no default in the payment of claims to family members, who have lost their bread winners to the crash.
“You know Dana has a peculiar challenge, they have a homogenous fleet. We have to recertify their aircraft and ensure that everything is okay with the aircraft type before they can resume operations.”
Other hurdles include the readiness of the carrier and its insurers to pay the outstanding $70,000 to families that lost their relatives to the crash.
Dana had sent most of its workers home a month after the crash because of increasing overhead costs and may now require more time to put its house in order to regain their loyalty ahead of the resumption of flights.
Some loyal passengers of the airline, it was learnt, have however been inundating the carrier with proposals of how to ensure successful operations.
Part of the suggestions is for the airline to consider buying new aircraft other than McDonnel Douglass 83, which they consider too controversial after the crash.
A source close to the airline however, hinted that Dana is working behind the scene to re-launch its flight in a manner that may spark a revolution in the aviation industry.
Part of the plans of the airline is to acquire newer planes in line with the passengers demand.
There has been mixed feeling in the aviation industry over the lifting of the suspension on DANA Air. While the Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON), the umbrella body of domestic carriers described it as a welcome development, some families of the bereaved had flayed the directive lifting the ban on the airline,
Speaking on the development, the chairman of AON, Dr Steve Manhonwu described it as evidence that the government is listening to the clamour of stakeholders.
Manhonwu said : “: With this early lifting of the ban, it is proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the government has listening ears and has the milk of human sympathy in the system. Please do not forget the reports of Sosoliso and Bellview Airlines so that their disorganised staff should come back to the basis.”
The 558 staff of the airline also expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for lifting the ban Speaking through the chief executive officer of DANA Air, Mr Jacky Hathiramani said : “ The provision of safe, reliable world class air transport services has always been our focus at DANA Air, and we will continue to adhere strictly to safety procedures as required by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act and other relevant local and international regulations, as we resume flight operations shortly.”
