While the dust raised by the Federal Government’s removal of the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Dr Harold Demuren is yet to settle, news filtered into the industry on Saturday night that government had also revoked the Air Operators Certificate of Dana Air.
With the withdrawal of the airlines’ certificate, it has become impossible for the embattled carrier to continue flight operations.
The latest development may not be unconnected with the recommendations of the National Assembly after their investigations on the June 3rd, 2012 crash of an MD 83 aircraft belonging to Dana Air at Iju/Ishaga area of Lagos State which claimed over 163 lives on board the plane and on ground.
Both the House of Representatives and Senate had earlier in the year passed a resolution asking the Federal Government to revoke the operating licence of Dana Air and to remove the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, among other things, based on the report of the committee on the investigation carried out on the 2012 Dana crash.
While all those called on phone to confirm the story declined, a top official in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) who spoke on a condition of anonymity confirmed the withdrawal of Dana’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC).