The investigation by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has revealed numerous non-adherence to industry standards in the operations of United Nigeria Airlines, which led to the wrong dispatch of its flight to Asaba instead of Abuja airport last Sunday.
This is as the apex regulatory body has lifted the suspension placed on the wet-leased aircraft of the airline and warned it to adhere strictly to industry standards in its operations.
Non-adherence to industry standards
A document signed by Capt. I.B. Dambazzau, Director, Operations, Licensing and Training on behalf of Capt. Musa Nuhu, Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), said that an investigation by its inspectors indicated that there was a lack of adequate liaison between the lessor’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) and lessee’s OCC, which also omitted appropriate flight briefing from the point of departure
The investigation also revealed that the cockpit crew and the cabin crew did not hold a preflight briefing before embarking on the flight, which is against industry standards.
It also added that the OCC flight monitoring of the airline did not monitor the aircraft in the company’s operations specification Part G (wet-lease aircraft).
It also accused the airline of non-adherence to the approved filed Air Traffic Control (ATC) flight plan.
Recommendations
Besides, the NCAA recommended subsequently, that approved flight programs be sent to the lessor and the necessary briefings should be conducted with a dispatcher of a lessee in attendance.
It also recommended that henceforth, both cockpit and cabin crew should hold appropriate briefings before flight.
Confirmation of released
Meanwhile, a press statement from the airline has confirmed the lifting of the suspension on its wet-leased airplanes.
A letter signed by the management of the airline also confirmed the lifting of the suspension by the regulatory body in the sector.
The airline also regretted the situation, appealed to its customers and reiterated its continuous strict adherence to safety at all times.
- The letter said: “We are pleased to announce the lifting of the suspension placed on our ‘Part G’ operations Specifications, which affected one of our aircraft. We want to express our deepest gratitude to you for keeping faith with us and for your understanding during this period.
- “Safety is at the core of United Nigeria Airlines’ values and we take our commitment to passenger safety very seriously. We are aware that every time our schedule is disrupted, it is usually a very painful experience for you and for us as well because we know and understand that it affects travel plans and diminishes your trust in the reliability of our operations.”
The airline further said that its team was working around the clock to resolve the backlog of flight schedules due to the incident.
- “Thank you for your unwavering support and be rest assured that you will continue enjoying quality service from us. We hope to see you soon,” the airline said.
