NCAA Debunks US Ban on Nigerian Airlines

Nigerian Airlines Still Flying to US, NCAA Confirms

Najomo reaffirmed the agency's dedication to adhering to global safety and security protocols...

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) clarifies no ban on Nigerian airlines operating in the US, despite reports of downgrade from US Category One status due to lack of direct flights.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a statement clarifying that no Nigerian airline has been prohibited from operating in the United States.

This statement comes after media reports emerged on September 2, suggesting that Nigeria had been downgraded from the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Category One status under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program. The reports attributed this alleged downgrade to the fact that Nigerian airlines have not operated direct flights to the US in over two years.

In response to these reports, Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of the NCAA, released a statement on the same day, confirming that Nigeria has not held the US Category One status since 2022, but emphasizing that this does not constitute a ban on Nigerian airlines operating in the US.

“The attention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has once again been drawn to a publication about the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by United States,” Najomo said.

“Due to the wrong impression such news could create, it has become expedient that we put this report in its proper perspective.

“To operate in the United States of America, Nigeria, like most countries, must satisfactorily pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment, IASA, Programme and attain Category 1 status.

“Upon attaining this status, Nigerian airlines would be permitted to operate Nigerian registered aircraft and dry- leased foreign registered aircraft into the United States, in line with the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA.

“The first time Nigeria attained Category One Status was in August 2010. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, conducted another safety assessment of Nigeria in 2014.

“A further safety assessment was conducted on Nigeria in 2017, after which Nigeria retained her Category One status.

“However, with effect from September 2022, the US Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, de-listed Category One countries who, after a 2-year period, had no indigenous operator providing service to the US or carrying the airline code of a U.S operator.

“Also removed from the Category One list were countries to which the FAA was not providing technical assistance based on identified areas of non-compliance to international standards for safety oversight.

“No Nigerian operator has provided service into the United States using a Nigerian registered aircraft within the 2- year period preceding September 2022, so it was expected that Nigeria would be delisted as were other countries who fell within this category.

“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 US using an aircraft wet-leased from a country who has a current Category one status.”

Najomo reaffirmed the agency's dedication to adhering to global safety and security protocols, while also acknowledging the sovereignty of all countries, including the United States, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which emphasizes mutual respect and cooperation among nations.

“This provision gives states complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories,” he said.

“Furthermore, it is in full realisation of this situation that has since prompted the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, to embark on an aggressive international campaign to empower our local operators to access the dry-lease market around the world which culminated in the visit to AIRBUS in France earlier this year and the MOU signed with BOEING in Seattle, Washington just last week.”

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“The Honourable Minister has also done a lot of work to make Nigeria comply fully with the Cape Town Convention which will bring back the confidence of international lessors in the Nigerian aviation market.”

Najomo expressed confidence that Nigeria will regain and maintain its US Category One status, thanks to the efforts being made by Minister Keyamo, and the aviation agency is optimistic about a successful outcome.