The Nation Newspaper

Tag: first nation

  • First Nation scales down operations for charter services

    First Nation scales down operations for charter services

    First Nation Airways yesterday abandoned its Certificate of Airworthiness (C of A) as a scheduled operator for charter services.

    This scaling down to charter operations comes nine months after the airline operated with a single aircraft.

    The Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) , Captain Mukhtar Usman disclosed this during the commencement of audit of Nigeria by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

    Usman said First Nation Airways will remain a charter operator until it meets the conditions spelt out to carry out scheduled flights.

    NCAA regulation prescribes that an operator must have at least two serviceable aircraft before it could embark on scheduled flights.

    He said the NCAA is working with the airline to ensure the payment of the N33.5 million sanction imposed on it for violating safety procedures.

    He, however, said the essence of sanctionin any operator or organisation was not punitive, but to serve as a corrective measure to prevent recurrence.

    He said: “Yes, they use one aircraft and they were on schedule services, but the present status now is that the certificate of the airworthiness of the status has been changed to non-schedule service, which is charter service. So, they are no longer into schedule service until they are able to meet the requirement for scheduled service.

    “I will still reconfirm to you that whatever sanction we impose on any operator it’s in-line with civil regulation and it’s not punitive, but corrective. FirstNation was sanctioned, they appealed, the appeal, which was upheld. So, we are still working with them to pay the sanction. We don’t want to cripple any operations. If it is safety related, we will not waste time, but the payment is being worked out now.”

  • Arik Air back in the air

    Arik Air back in the air

    Arik Air will resume normal flights  Wednesday morning, 24 hours after it suspended operations over problems with insurance.

    In a statement on its website,  Arik Air, Nigeria’s  biggest airline, said it will resume flights at 11 am on Wednesday, having resolved its insurance issues.

    The company also said that it is in the process of changing its ‘airline Liability Insurance providers’.

    “Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest airline, is pleased to announce that scheduled flights will resume from 11 am tomorrow, Wednesday September 14, 2016.

    “Members of the public and our customers are advised to discountenance the disparaging allegations, unsubstantiated and uninformed claims about the airline’s inability to meet its financial obligations to aviation fuel marketers and a purported withdrawal of insurance services to Arik Air by its insurers.

    “While the current scarcity of aviation fuel (JET A1) has impacted on the operations of airlines in the country, Arik Air is in good standing with its fuel suppliers and have been meeting its obligations to them and to our insurers.

    “With the regularisation of the required documents relating to the renewal of the insurance, Arik Air will be resuming its normal flying schedule from 1100 hours on Wednesday, September 14, 2016.

    “Arik Air regrets the unfortunate inconvenience caused to its customers and reassures our customers of expedient rebooking of their flights.”

    The airline had created panic in the aviation sector on Tuesday after it announced the suspension of flights.

    The action held prospects of shrinking flight options for travellers, especially as two other domestic airlines have grounded operations.

    Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s second biggest domestic operator, saddled by huge debts announced late August  it was suspending operations indefinitely from 1 September and asked staff to go home.

    “The impact of the external environment has been very harsh on our operational performance, hence management decision to suspend scheduled services operations indefinitely effective September 1, 2016, pending when the external opportunities and a robust sustainable and viable plan is in place for Aero Contractors to recommence its scheduled services.

    “The implication of the suspension of scheduled services operations extends to all staffs directly and indirectly involved in providing services as they are effectively to proceed on indefinite leave of absence during the period of non-services.”, the airline said.

    First Nation followed, but promised to resume operations on 15 September.

  • Photo: First Nation plane accident

    Photo: First Nation plane accident

    First Nation planes
    First Nation planes
  • First Nation blames FAAN for aircraft collision

    First Nation blames FAAN for aircraft collision

    First Nation Airways has blamed officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for the incident involving two of it aircraft .

    An official of the airline, Rasheed Yusuf said in a statement said if FAAN officials were diligent, the incident would have been avoided.

    The statement read: ” This Press Release is to clarify the ground incident that occurred on Friday, July 17, 2015. Our Aircraft Registered No. 5N-FND wing tip touched the wing tip of another sister aircraft already parked at another gate. This incident is avoidable if the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria marshallers had been diligent to avoid marshalling the aircraft wrongly.

    ” We urge the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to retrain the marshallers as we understand that the marshallers at MMA2 are deployed by FAAN under an MOU with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, the operator of MMA2, Ikeja. It is important to emphasize that at no time was the safety of passengers at risk.

    “The regulatory authorities will also need to enhance oversight of the marshallers and their authorisation to arrest the growing incidents of aircraft damage on ground in Nigeria which is embarrassing. Besides the huge losses that Firstnation and other airlines suffer as a result of avoidable ground incidents. You will recall that a similar incident involving Emirate aircraft occurred only a couple of days ago.

    ” Firstnation Airways takes passengers’ safety seriously. The regulatory authority (NCAA) has been informed of the above incident. Aircraft has been assessed and repairs is ongoing to ensure that the aircraft return to service in strict compliance with the highest safety standard in accordance with industry best practices.

    ” First nation Airways since launch in 2011 continues to build high standard of operation with safety as the airline’s essential focus.”