United Nigeria aircraft
By Victory Oghene
The management of United Nigeria Airlines are literally running from pillar to post to ensure that Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) does not grounds its activities as the NCAA has suspended the particular wet-leased aircraft operated by the airline that landed in Asaba Instead of Abuja.
A source close to NCAA on Monday said that the apex civil aviation regulatory body took the decision on Monday via a letter communicated to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline.
The spokesperson of the airline, Mr Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, confirmed that the plane that was involved in the flight diversion to Asaba, was affected by the suspension.
Uchegbu, said in a statement that the flight which took off in Lagos en route Abuja on Sunday was temporarily diverted to the Asaba International Airport in Delta State due to poor destination weather.
He stated: ”At all material time, the pilots of the aircraft were aware of the temporary diversion and were properly briefed.
”However, a wrong announcement was made by cabin crew upon landing in Asaba creating confusion among the passengers.
”Meanwhile, the aircraft had landed safely in Abuja following improvement
NATIONAL WAVES gathered that immediately the incident gained traction on social media on Sunday, the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu called an emergency meeting of the agency, where it was resolved that the excuse given by the airline was not tenable to the authority.
Besides, it was learnt that the report obtained from the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), contravened the claim of the airline on poor weather situation in Abuja as of the time of the diversion.
Although reports said that no fewer than two wet-leased Airbus A320-200 aircrafts were in the fleet of United Nigeria Airlines, the spokesperson insisted that the airline had only one and that it was the one affected by the suspension.
A wet-leased is a leasing arrangement whereby one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline or other type of business acting as a broker of air travel (the lessee), which pays by hours operated.
Also, at times, the cabin crew may be indigenous people.
The source said: “NCAA has suspended all the wet lease aircraft in the operations of United Nigeria Airlines. The excuse they provided to us that the diversion to Asaba was due to poor weather in Abuja was not acceptable to us. So, we have to take the big step by suspending all the aircraft that are wet leased in their fleet.
“The aircraft will remain suspended until after investigation. We can’t allow this to happen. The fact is that their crews are foreigners and they are not familiar with Nigeria, which the airline ought to have done. So, we are suspending them until after the investigation.”
