NCAA grounds IRS, Chachangi over issues
Less than three weeks after suspending the operations of Dana Air to pave the way for a safety audit of the carrier’s operations, the aviation industry regulator, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, has grounded the operations of IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines.
The suspension followed a memo signed by the Director-General of the NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, ordering all scheduled airline operators whose fleet size had been reduced to only one operational aircraft to immediately stop flight operations.
The memo was addressed to all scheduled airline operators and dated October 14, 2013 reads “You will recall that recently, the NCAA, through the director-general, expressly suspended the continued operation of airlines possessing otherwise valid Air Operators Certificate, but who were operating with a single aircraft.”
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority regulations provide for more than a single aircraft for any operator to secure or operate under a valid AOC.
“This directive is, therefore, issued to formalise and clarify that prior order suspending such operations. As such, all AOC holders or operators whose operational fleet has been reduced to a single operational aircraft for whatever reason shall immediately and forthwith suspend their flight operations.
“Such operations may only resume upon clearance from the NCAA that there is more than one operational aircraft for continued flight operations and satisfaction that such AOC holder has the capacity to have safe flight operations prior to commencing any such operation.”
The directive of the regulatory authority therefore grounds IRS and Chanchangi’s operations. The development which has now brought to four, the number of airlines whose operations have been suspended by the regulator in the last three weeks, following the Associated Airlines’ plane crash in Lagos on October 3.
Associated Airlines’ operation was suspended by the NCAA three days after the tragic crash involving its Embraer 120 plane near the Lagos airport, which led to the death of 15 people.
Two days later on October 6, the regulator suspended the operations of Dana Air nationwide.
Aviation experts applauds the decision of the NCAA to suspend the operations of IRS and Chanchangi airlines, saying the development will boost safety in the airspace.
