The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Tuesday
suspended the air operator’s certificate (AOC) of Discovery
Airways Ltd over what it regarded as safety concerns.
Samuel Adurogboye, the deputy general manager, public
relations, NCAA, who said the suspension took effect from
January 8, noted that the agency recently carried out its
periodic safety audit on some airlines and discovered that
Discovery Airways was found wanting in some areas where
it was, within one week, asked to correct the anomalies to
no avail.
According to him, “In pursuit of its oversight responsibilities
as stipulated by law, the NCAA has lately carried out a
review of the operations of domestic airlines after which
letters of warning or suspension of air operator’s certificate
(AOC) were served on defaulters.
“A case in point is an airline that failed to carry out certain
corrective actions within one week from the 1st to 7th of
January, 2015 as raised in an earlier letter to the operator.
“Consequently, upon the inability to address the issue
raised, the authority in its January 8, 2015 letter to the
operator declared that pursuant to Section 35(2) and 3(b) of
the Civil Aviation
Act 2006 and Part 1.1.3.3.3(a)(1) of the Nigeria Civil
Aviation Regulations 2009, it hereby suspends the AOC of
Discovery Airways Ltd”, he said.
He explained that the suspension takes effect from January
8, 2015, the date of the letter conveying the notice, adding
that “this order would be in force pending the outcome of a
comprehensive review of the airlines’ operations to be
carried out accordingly”.
Adurogboye noted that it is not in the interest of the NCAA to
send out any airline from operations but does not condone
any safety violation.
“As much as it is not the desire of NCAA to regulate any
airline out of existence, the authority, however, viewed any
violation of safety regulations seriously”, he added.
Discovery Air commenced operations about four months
ago with two B737 aircraft providing about 250 seats daily
to the traveling public.
Observers have, however, described the development as a
good one on the part of the NCAA, cautioning it not to
restrict the audit to one airline as safety is in the interest of
all the traveling public.
“As much as I am not for or against any airline, what the
NCAA has done is in the interest of all. The airline should
correct the anomalies and return to operations in its own
interest. We all know that there is no parking space in the
air, therefore, safety should not be toyed with under any
guise”, a stakeholder said.


Source: businessdayonline.com/2015/01/ncaa-suspends-discovery-airways/