Yesterday, news went round that the Nigerian Government has joined the list of countries banning the Boeing 737 Max 8 jets.
According to the reports, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, made the Government’s decision known in Abuja, yesterday, at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The Minister said the Government’s decision was as a result of the recent crashing of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, which killed all 157 people on board, Sunday.
Need to clarify the somewhat “confusing” ban reports
The report, as attributed to the Minister, was a little confusing. This is because the same Minister had earlier, on Tuesday, implied in a tweet that there was no need to ban the jets. In his words, “we do not have any Boeing 737 Max on Nigeria’s register to worry about.”
As we continue to mourn the ET crash in Addis, and pray for the victims, we wish to reassure Nigerians that we do not have any Boeing 737 Max on Nigeria’s register to worry about. Civil Aviation Authority has issued the needed advisory, please.🤲🏽🤲🏽🤲🏽🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬
— Hadi Abubakar Sirika (@hadisirika) March 12, 2019
So, what exactly is the nature of the ban?
From the foregoing, it can be seen that Nigeria did not ban Boeing 737 Max 8 per se, at least not in the same way other countries around the world have banned the jets.
Instead, the Nigerian Government’s position is that no airlines are allowed to fly within the country’s airspace with the controversial Boeing 737 Max 8 jets.
“We have issued directives that no operators with 737 (8) or (9) should operate into or out of our airports.”- Sirika
Meanwhile, the NCAA earlier told Nigerians to stay calm
Earlier on Tuesday, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a statement aimed at reassuring Nigerian airline travellers about their safety.
Some part of the statement also clarified that the Boeing 737 Max 8 planes do not currently operate in the country.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has assured the flying public of their safety, stating that there is no cause for alarm. Presently, the accident aircraft type, Boeing 737 – Max 8 is not in operation in the Country.
However, the Authority, in line with its Safety Oversight mandate enshrined in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is consciously monitoring the development (s) with a view to take the necessary steps that will enhance the safety of all aircraft in operation within the Nigerian airspace.”
On Air Peace’ impending partnership with Boeing
Nairametrics understands that Air Peace do not currently have the Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in its fleet. However, the company does have a standing partnership with the American jet manufacturer, which would eventually see it take delivery of some Boeing 737 Max jets.
In reaction to stakeholders’ safety concerns following Sunday’s crash in Ethiopia, Air Peace has stated that it has no intention to cancel the order the it made earlier last year.
