The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has ordered all non-licenced JET A1 suppliers as well as those with expired licences to quit all the airports in the country.
The director general, civil aviation, Capt Musa Nuhu disclosed in a speech at the inauguration of the joint NCAA audit committee of all aviation fuel activities in Nigeria.
He also issued an all operators letter (AOL) mandating all the operators to comply with the requirements for fueling as approved.
The action followed the recent series of incidents relating to fuel contamination, particularly the one involving Max Air aircraft which generated a lot of attention locally and internationally.
Nuhu said the contaminated fuel suppliers were detected through a joint effort with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Represented by the director, operations, licensing and training standards, Capt Ibrahim Dambazau, the director general said the authority’s foremost responsibility is to ensure the safety of aviation activities in Nigeria “which we have continued to ensure and we would not relent on this effort towards achieving the highest level of safety in this sector.”
He assured Nigerians that the aviation industry and our skies “are safe as the NCAA has always been thorough in granting approvals in addition to our oversight responsibilities which include surveillances and audits of all operators involved in the aviation industry to ensure the highest level of safety.”
He stated that NCAA had taken steps in the aftermath of the toxic fuel incident which included the investigation of all the incidents that had been reported and collaborated with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), NMDPRA that issue licences, and Department of State Services (DSS).
Considering the gravity of the situation as well as its seriousness, Nuhu said the Authority decided to set up a joint committee with membership drawn from the NCAA, NSIB, FAAN, DSS, NMPDRA as well as fuel marketers’ association in Nigeria.
The committee is mandated to conduct a holistic review and audit of all fuelers, fueling facilities and equipment from the initial source of the fuel to the point of fueling into the aircraft.
It is also tasked to identify all the root causes, proffer solutions and recommendations that would improve the level of safety in the aviation industry in Nigeria.
In addition, the team would take a tour of the country to ensure compliance with all regulatory and safety requirements.
The director general said the presidency and the ministry of aviation and aerospace development had directed that the investigation should be brought to a logical conclusion in the interest of Nigerians.
He urged the committee to leave no stone unturned and come up with recommendations that would help prevent recurrence of the incidents and improve the level of safety in the industry.
