The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has provided clarification regarding the recent delisting of Nigerian airlines from operating into the United States.
Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, emphasized that the delisting was not due to safety or security deficiencies but was a result of policy changes by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Capt. Najomo explained that beginning in September 2022, the FAA started removing Category One countries from its list if they did not have a native airline offering services to the U.S. or carrying the airline code of a U.S. operator.
Additionally, countries that were not receiving technical assistance from the FAA due to non-compliance with international safety oversight standards were also removed from Category One.
In response to reports suggesting a ban on Nigerian airlines, Capt. Najomo clarified: “The attention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has once again been drawn to a publication about the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by the United States. Due to the wrong impression such news could create, it has become expedient that we put this report in its proper perspective.”
He further detailed Nigeria’s history with the Category One status: “To operate into the United States of America, Nigeria, like most countries, must satisfactorily pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Programme and attain Category One status. Upon attaining this status, Nigerian airlines would be permitted to operate Nigerian-registered aircraft and dry-leased foreign-registered aircraft into the United States, in line with the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).”
Capt. Najomo also noted that Nigeria had first attained Category One status in August 2010 and retained it following FAA safety assessments in 2014 and 2017.
However, as of September 2022, the FAA delisted Category One countries that had no indigenous operators providing service to the U.S. within a two-year period, including Nigeria.
The delisting of Nigeria, therefore, was not unexpected and was not related to any failings in safety or security oversight.
He added that Nigerian operators could still operate into the U.S. using aircraft wet-leased from countries that have a current Category One status.
Capt. Najomo assured the public that the NCAA continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of states, including the United States, as enshrined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
In light of the situation, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has been actively working to empower local operators.
This effort includes securing access to the dry-lease market worldwide, highlighted by recent visits to AIRBUS in France and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BOEING in Seattle, Washington.
The Minister has also been working to ensure Nigeria’s full compliance with the Cape Town Convention, aiming to restore the confidence of international lessors in the Nigerian aviation market.
The NCAA is optimistic that these steps will help Nigeria regain and sustain its U.S. Category One status.
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