How poor funding, wrong equipment, zero maintenance facility populate boneyards
• Experts blame regulators, wrong business models
Nigeria has ranked top among countries with the highest number of unserviceable aircraft in global commercial aviation. x
CH aviation, a Swiss-based firm that specialises in data and information gathering for global aviation operators, estimated that Nigeria, though with smaller industry, now ranks higher than Germany, United Kingdom, Argentina, and Malaysia in the top countries with the highest number of retired airplanes.
Findings by The Guardian showed that the high toll of abandoned or retired aircraft in airports nationwide earned Nigeria the unenviable top spot. This is not unconnected with operators’ penchant for the cheaper middle-range jet engine aircraft type, which often turns out to be a wrong choice, in the long run, coupled with the lack of maintenance facility to support the aircraft and e
Nigeria Bans Emirates Flights For Three Days
Advertisement: Update: 02/06/20 @ 09:56 UTC – An Emirates spokesperson has shared that the suspension was lifted last night, which means that the airline did not stop flying; details below.
Flight and airline suspensions continue to abound. This week, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) slapped Gulf carrier Emirates with a 72-hour flight suspension. The three-day ban encompassed all outbound flights from Nigeria and came into effect at midnight Thursday, February 4th.
Dubai’s Emirates was initially suspended from picking up any passengers in Nigeria until at least Monday. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Only affects outgoing operations
The Federal Government has placed a 72-hour suspension on outbound Emirates flights from Nigeria.
A circular signed by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) director-general, Musa Nuhu, stated that the airline has been airlifting passengers from Nigeria using rapid antigen tests conducted by laboratories not approved by regulatory authorities. x
“Based on the foregoing and to enable the Nigerian government to put in place the needed infrastructure and logistics for COVID-19 RDT testing for departing passengers, the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented,” the circular read.
The
Daily Post – Nigeria News reports that the flight ban first appeared in a Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) circular issued on February 4. It explained that the suspension is due to the airline not following guidelines put in place by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Nigeria is accusing the airline of airlifting passengers from Nigeria and using rapid antigen tests performed at unapproved laboratories.
The circular read, “…the PTF has directed that Emirates Airlines should either accept passengers without RDT pending when the infrastructure and logistics are put in place or suspend its flights to and from Nigeria until such a time when the required infrastructure and logistics are fully established and implemented.”
The Country Manager Emirates Airlines Nigeria Victoria Island, Lagos.
RE: RAPID ANTIGEN COVID-19 TESTING (ROT) FOR EMIRATES PASSENGERS
Your letter dated 5th February 2021on the above subject refers.
We have carefully read your response to our letter NCANDG/AIR11/16/285 of 4th February 2021 and arrived at the understanding that the UAE Government has granted approval to Emirates airlines to withdraw the requirement for Rapid Antigen Testing (ROT) prior to departure of Emirates flights from Nigeria with immediate effect until such a time that the required infrastructure is made available by the Nigerian Government.
Based on the foregoing, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) has directed the immediate lifting of the suspension of Emirates Airlines operations in Nigeria.