Another Nigerian airline, First Nation suspends operations

Barely 24 hours after Aero Contractors Airlines announced suspension of its operations, another domestic carrier, First Nation Airlines, has followed suit, suspending its operations.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) made this known on Thursday.

Aero Contractors Airlines, Nigeria’s second largest commercial carrier, announced an indefinite suspension of its scheduled flight services and its staff with effect from Thursday, September 1, 2016.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, explained that the decision was taken in order to ensure that the airline carried out the required maintenance of its aircraft.

Usman, however, refuted claims that some of the domestic airlines were winding down their operations regardless of the fact that they had suspended flight services.

A statement signed by NCAA’s DG said: “The First Nation Airlines on its part is in the middle of an Engine Replacement Programme for one of its aircrafts. Another aircraft is due for mandatory maintenance as allowed by the regulatory authority.

“In these circumstances, these airlines clearly cannot continue to undertake schedule operations, hence the inevitable recourse to self regulatory suspension.”

Usman insisted that the domestic carriers had not wound down their operations, but were “merely suspending their operations temporarily to enable them undertake certain operational overhaul and strengthen their overall operational outlay.”