On Monday, the Federal Government clarified that no Nigerian airline is currently banned by the US government. Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Chris Najomo, made this statement.
He explained that Nigeria achieved Category One status under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program in 2010.
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Although Nigeria passed re-evaluations by the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2014 and 2017, the country was de-listed in 2022 due to failure to meet the permit’s requirements.
“It is important to clarify here that the de-listing of Nigeria has absolutely nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in our oversight system. Nigeria has undergone comprehensive ICAO Safety and Security Audits and recorded no Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or Significant Security Concern (SSeC) respectively.
“It is furthermore necessary to add that a Nigerian operator can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country who has a current Category One status.
“The NCAA continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This provision gives States complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories,” the statement read.
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One of the requirements was for Nigerian airlines to either provide services to the US or operate under a US airline code.
According to the statement, no Nigerian airline met this criterion, leading to the US government’s decision in 2022.
The statement also clarified that Nigeria’s de-listing was unrelated to any security or safety deficiencies in the NCAA’s oversight.
It noted that Nigerian airlines can still fly to the US using aircraft wet-leased from a country with a Category One permit.
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