Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority DisclosesReasons for Delisting Nigerian Airlines Amid US Flight Ban.
(US Flight Ban) Nigeria’s airlines can only operate flights to the United States after passing the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program and achieving Category 1 status, a requirement that also applies to other countries, according to a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja by Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation, NAN reports. Nigeria’s downgrade to Category 2 status and subsequent suspension of its airlines’ operations to the United States have been clarified by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Nigeria’s airlines can only operate flights to the United States after passing the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program and achieving Category 1 status, a requirement that also applies to other countries, according to a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja by Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation, NAN reports. “The NCAA’s attention has been drawn to a publication about the purported US ban on Nigerian airlines,” stated Najomo. It is now necessary for us to view this story in the correct context because of the potentially false impression that such news could give. “In accordance with the current Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), Nigerian airlines would be able to operate Nigerian registered aircraft and dry-lease foreign registered aircraft into the United States upon achieving Category 1 status.”
In August 2010, Najomo revealed that Nigeria had first obtained the coveted Category 1 certification. This gave historical context.
Nigeria’s continuous adherence to international aviation safety standards was then evaluated in 2014 by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through a follow-up safety evaluation.
Najomo further mentioned that Nigeria was able to successfully maintain its Category 1 designation in 2017 after conducting an additional safety evaluation. But he made it clear that the US FAA implemented a major policy shift in September 2022, according to which countries that had previously been placed under Category 1 would be de-listed if, two years later, they did not have an indigenous airline that was either directly serving the US or collaborating with a US-based carrier.
“Countries where the FAA was not providing technical assistance, based on identified areas of non-compliance “In the two years prior to September 2022, no Nigerian operator has offered service into the United States using an aircraft registered in Nigeria.”
Therefore, it was anticipated that Nigeria and the other nations that fit this description would be taken off the list. Nigeria was thus removed from the list as of 2022, and the country was duly notified of this decision in 2022.
Najomo claims that there is no connection whatsoever between any safety or security failures in the country’s oversight system and Nigeria’s delisting from Category 1.to international standards for safety oversight, were also removed from the Category 1 list,” he said. Najomo emphasized that Nigeria has successfully completed extensive Safety and Security Audits conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with no Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SeC) findings.
He emphasized that Nigerian airlines can carry on with their operations in the United States by leasing aircraft from nations that are still classified as Category 1.
In addition, as stated in Article 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Najomo reaffirmed the NCAA’s unwavering commitment to upholding global safety and security norms while recognizing and honoring the sovereignty of other countries, particularly the United States.
