The federal government has banned Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft from flying into Nigeria’s airspace after the model witnessed a second crash in six months.
The plane crash last Sunday in Addis Ababa, which killed all 157 persons aboard, was the second involving the same model which crashed in Indonesia in October 2018.
Minister of state for aviation, Hadi Sirika, briefed newsmen of the development at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Regarding Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, that has been in the news recently, there is no cause for alarm as there is no operator in Nigeria that is using that type of airplane.
“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, whose mandate it is to issue advisory, has already issued advisory that nobody should fly into Nigeria or out of Nigeria using Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, pending the determination of the actual cause of the crash in Ethiopia and also pending the outcome of the response of the manufacturer, which is Messers Boeing.
“Regardless of the enormous safety records of this plane 737, it has caused concern in the world of aviation and you know aviation is universal, whatever affects one affects the other because aircraft will be flying in and out. So, we have issued directive that no operator with Boeing 737 Max 8 or Max 9 should operate into and outside our airports and this is being carried out,” Sirika said.
He added that although two Nigerian airlines, Air Peace and Arik, had placed orders for the model, it would take two years for the aircraft to be delivered; a period he says should be enough time for Boeing to rectify the problem.
