…We’ve withdrawn the aircraft affected by ban-Airline
Barely 12 hours after holding its maiden annual general meeting where it declared a dividend of 3 kobo per 50 kobo ordinary share, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has stopped Med-View Airline from entering the EU airspace.
EASA said it stopped the airline from the EU airspace because of safety reasons.
EASA said Med-View’s Boeing 767 aircraft which plies the Lagos-Gatwick route is not airworthy and advised the carrier to change the aircraft or suspend flights to its airspace until it is able to provide another aircraft for its operations.
However, Med-View Airline has clarified the EASA action saying the carrier’s operations to London was not, in any way affected by “restriction” since the airline operates with a wet leased aircraft.
The airline’s executive director, business development and commercials, Mr. Isiaq Na’Allah said the B767 aircraft which EASA used as the basis for the restriction was withdrawn from service five months earlier.
“The aircraft is undergoing a comprehensive maintenance at an EU and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisation,” he said.
Na’Allah added: “The ban which falls under exception rule in EASA, Annex A, where it states that “Air carrier listed in Annex A could be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier, which is not subject to an operating ban.
“The Airline regretted the anxiety the misinformation may have caused its teeming passengers and assured them that there is no basis for alarm as the Lagos-London flight remains unaffected.
“We at Med-View Airline are committed to safety, and currently working with EASA and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to restore normalcy.
“The Airline on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 operated its normal scheduled flight to London amidst the misinformation about the restriction.”
