In what can only be described as a systematic breakdown of the aviation industry, yet another domestic airline, First Nation Airlines, has suspended operations. According to the Vanguard Newspapers, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) made this known on Thursday.
The new of First Nation’s suspension of operations comes less than a day after the nation’s second largest domestic carrier, Aero Contractors, indefinitely suspended its operations. This further lengthens the list of airlines that have either pulled out or suspended operations since the economic crisis hit the country.
However, unlike others who had shut down operations due to economic reasons, The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, explained that First Nation’s flight suspension was for the operator to ensure that the airline carried out the required maintenance of its aircraft.
The vanguard quotes the NCAA’s DG as saying: “The First Nation Airlines on its part is in the middle of an Engine Replacement Program for one of its aircraft. 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.”
Parts of this article originally appeared in Vanguard Newspapers.