The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operating licence of Dana Air indefinitely, with effect from July 20.
Director-general of NCAA Captain Musa Nuhu in a statement on Wednesday said the decision is the outcome of a financial and economic health audit it carried out on the airline, and the findings of an investigation conducted on the airline’s flight operations recently.
It said investigation revealed that Dana Airlines was no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations.
“The NCAA acknowledges the negative effect this preemptive decision will have on the Airline’s passengers and the travelling public and seeks their understanding, as the safety of flight operations takes priority over all other considerations,” the statement said.
This is coming days after a Dana Air Boeing 737 aircraft made an emergency landing at Abuja airport.
Spokesman of Dana Air Kingsley Ezenwa said the incident was due to an indication on one of its engines.
He noted that the pilot briefed the 100 passengers aboard the aircraft and landed safely at the Abuja airport.
The suspension of Dana Air operations also followed petitions filed by the Airline Operators of Nigeria to the NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) expressing concerns and seeking reliefs.
