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Dana Air announces resumption of operations

By BusinessNews Staff on January 26, 2014

More than three months after it was grounded for technical and safety reasons, Dana Air may have received a go ahead to resume operations.

A statement from the airline said, following the successful outcome of the operational audit of Dana Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the airline is set to recommence full commercial flight operations today.

“The resumption of Dana Air’s flight operations comes on the heels of the lifting of the suspension order by the regulatory agency as the airline has demonstrated satisfactory competence in operating the Boeing McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) aircraft fleet,” the statement signed by the airline’s management said.

Announcing the resumption of flight operations in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager, Mr. Yvan Drewinsky, said the lifting of the suspension order is a testament that Dana Air adheres strictly to prescribed safety standards as dictated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

The Dana Air COO also commended the Aviation Ministry and the NCAA for the transparent and objective conduct of the operational audit of the airline.

“The successful outcome of Dana Air’s operational audit by the NCAA involving the Flight Safety Group in conjunction with their foreign partners underscores our commitment to safe operations in line with standard procedures. We are therefore delighted at the prospect of our imminent plans to recommence flight operations to continue to offer unparalleled quality of flight services to our guests”, said Drewinsky.

He also commended Nigerians for their show of support and understanding, especially those whose travel itineraries were disrupted during the operational audit exercise.

The airline also thanked the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and the Director General of the NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, for their unwavering commitment to make the skies safer.

He further assured stakeholders that at resumption, Dana Air would operate flights on the Lagos – Abuja – Lagos route and would thereafter, progressively introduce additional routes and frequencies to cater for customers’ demands, as more aircraft joins the fleet.
The NCAA, in exercising its statutory safety oversight functions on all the operating airlines, had earlier prescribed a yearly schedule audit programme to ensure safety in the sky and to also avoid hitches in flight operations. Dana Air is the first airline to have successfully undergone the operational audit exercise.
But when contacted, the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Fan Ndubuoke, said the regulatory body would make official statement on the resumption of the airline soon.

[This Day]

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