Mohammed Shosanya

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reacted to the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by the United States, saying the report was misconceived and not true representation of the situation.

Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General Civil Aviation, said in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday to address the misconception surrounding the alleged ban.

He explained that the delisting of Nigeria from the Category One status by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency in Nigeria’s oversight system.

According to him,Nigeria attained Category One status in August 2010, which allowed Nigerian airlines 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).

However, with effect from September 2022, the U.S. FAA de-listed Category One countries that had no indigenous operator providing service to the U.S. or carrying the airline code of a U.S. operator within a 2-year period.

The NCAA clarified that Nigerian operators can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country with a current Category One status.

The NCAA also emphasized that it continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

The statement further noted that the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has been actively working to empower local operators to access the dry-lease market around the world, which included a visit to AIRBUS in France earlier this year and the signing of an MOU with BOEING in Seattle, Washington.

The Minister has also made efforts to ensure Nigeria’s full compliance with the Cape Town Convention, which will bring back the confidence of international lessors in the Nigerian aviation market.

The NCAA expressed confidence that with these steps taken by the Minister, it is only a matter of time before Nigeria not only regains but can also sustain its U.S. Category One status.

“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.

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

“To operate into 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 on 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 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) de-listed Category One countries who, after a 2-year period,had no indigenous operator provide service to the U.S. or carrying the airline code of a U.S operator. Also removed from the Category One list were countries who the FAA was not providing technical assistance to 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 de-listed as were other countries who fell within this category.Nigeria was,therefore,de-listed since 2022 and was duly informed of this action in 2022. 

“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 NVigerian operator can still operate into the U.S. using an aircraft wet-leased from a country who has a current Category One status.

“The NCAA continues to adhere strictly to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of States, including the United States of America, as enshrined in Article One of the Convention on International Civil Aviation. This provision gives States complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories.

“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.

“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. We are confident that with these steps of the Honourable Minister, it is only a matter of time that Nigeria, not only regains, but can sustain its U.S. Category One status” reads the statement in part.

Mohammed Shosanya

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),says it only grounded three aircraft of Arik Air three Aircrafts,not its entire operations.

NCAA cleared the air in a statement titled “clarification of the status of Arik Air Following Court Order” made available to journalists at the weekend.

Michael Achimugu
Director,Public Affairs and Consumer Protection,signed the statement.

It reads:`Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) refers to the grounding of three (3) Arik Air aircraft following a court order/Attachment.

`It is important to clarify that the action does not include the suspension of Arik Air’s overall operations by either the NCAA or the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development as claimed in some quarters.

`The NCAA is duty-bound to comply with the court order attaching Arik Air’s aircraft (5NMJF; 5NMJQ; 5NBKX) following the determination of its case at the Supreme Court and to ensure compliance with regulatory and safety standards.

`The NCAA reiterates that it has not suspended or halted Arik Air’s flight operations,which continue as scheduled and do not affect the airline’s ability to operate its remaining fleet.

`We appreciate the public’s understanding and patience as Arik Air works through this situation with minimal disruption.’

Babatunde Solanke

An Abuja High Court has issued a major ruling mandating the sale of aircraft, hangars, and other movable assets owned by Arik Air Limited.

Specifically,the court directed sale of the aircraft with the registration numbers B737-700/5N-MJF, B737-800/5N-MJQ, DASH8-Q400, and 5N-BKX.

This decision comes as a result of the airline’s substantial outstanding debts owed to Atlas Petroleum International Limited and other creditors.

Justice O. A. Adeniyi,gave the ruling within the context of a legal dispute where Atlas Petroleum International Limited and Prince Arthur Eze acted as the applicants.

Arik Air Limited was identified as the debtor in the case.

The court’s directive to sell off Arik Air’s assets aims to recover the funds owed to Atlas Petroleum International Limited and other creditors.

This legal action underscores the severity of the financial troubles facing Arik Air, once a leading airline in Nigeria.

The ex parte motion, which initiated the process, was filed on June 25, 2024.

An ex parte motion is a legal procedure where the case is presented and decided by the judge without requiring all parties to be present in court, often used in urgent situations.

Mohammed Shosanya

Shareholders of Access Holdings Plc have expressed overwhelming confidence in the company’s growth strategy and pledged their support for the ongoing N351 billion rights issue.

They conveyed this at the recent “Facts Behind the Rights Issue” presentation held at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) office in Lagos.

The shareholders commended Access Holdings for its impressive track record and consistent dividend payments, which have reinforced their trust in the company’s leadership.

“Since Access Bank first started trading on the stock exchange at N0.65, we shareholders have witnessed its incredible growth and accrued immense value, with the stock now trading at N19.35 as of June 9,” remarked Bisi Bakare, National Coordinator, Pragmatic Shareholders Association of Nigeria.

“Be confident that as the consolidation phase of the Group’s expansion fully takes shape and the brand’s profitability continues to increase, those of us who have been on this journey from the beginning are not about to jump off now. We fully back the capitalisation plans, starting with the Rights Issue, and are excited for the future that lies ahead for Access Holdings.”

This position expressed by this group of shareholders, represented by Bakare, was corroborated by four other groups of shareholders.

Speaking at the event, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman, Access Holdings, also expressed confidence in the success of the rights issue, emphasising that it would propel Access Holdings towards its goal of becoming one of the top five financial institutions in Africa by 2027. The rights issue, offering 17,772,612,811 ordinary shares at N19.75 per share, is the first part of a capital raising programme expected to raise up to US$1.5 billion. The funds will be used to strengthen the company’s financial position, support working capital needs, and drive organic growth in its banking and non-banking subsidiaries.

“We are grateful for the solid support of our shareholders,” said Aig-Imoukhuede. “Since Access Bank was recapitalised in 2002, we have consistently kept all promises made to the investing public and actualised all the cyclical milestones we set out to achieve. I have unwavering confidence in the management of the group, led by Bolaji Agbede and Roosevelt Ogbonna, to see through on targets we have for the current five-year strategic cycle. As we progress towards 2027, we are committed to delivering exceptional value to our shareholders and solidifying our position as a leading global financial institution,” he added.

Roosevelt Ogbonna, Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank, highlighted the company’s commitment to becoming a global banking leader. He noted that the bank aims to grow its customer base to 125 million by 2027 and establish itself as one of the top five banks globally.

“Our journey from a handful of branches to a global presence showcases our dedication to sustainable growth,” Ogbonna said. “By 2027, we aim to be one of the top five African banks, powering trade across the continent and providing superior services to our customers.”

The Rights Issue offer opened on July 8 and will close on August 14, 2024. Shareholders and potential investors are encouraged to participate actively by taking up their rights.

Babatunde Solanke

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA),will sanction any airline found to be involved in deceitful departure time scheduling of flights when they know they would not be flying at that time.

The Director,Consumer Protection and Public Affairs of NCAA, Michael Achimugu said the agency has engaged airlines repeatedly in this aspect.

He further noted that the acting director general of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo has directed that henceforth, the authority will monitor the activities of these airlines and sanction anyone found going against aviation roles.

He said:”Recall that when the current NCAA acting director general assumed office, he made sure that there was ease of doing business. Right now, the time of getting AOC is quite shorter and easier compared to years ago. Therefore, the NCAA expects reciprocity from operators, chief of them been to provide world-class services to passengers.

” If the NCAA is making it easier for operators to work, it is expected that passengers must be satisfied. Lately, it has been observed that there are some infractions. Some airlines are been reported to be advertising deceitful departure times.

By the NCAA regulations, especially part 19 states that “no airline shall display deceitful time on counter or its website.”

“We want to make it very clear that the DG CAA has instructed officers and other inspectors to begin to monitor the activities of airlines in this regard and defaulters are going to face serious sanctions. Let it be clear that Capt. Chris Najomo believes in discipline, safety and economic regulations. This is evident in the recent suspension of ten PFC holders for failure to comply with recertification of their licenses.”.

He also warned that the NCAA will go after airlines who refuses to refund passengers after cancellations of flights.

He explained that the standard role of airline operations is that payments made in cash are refunded over the counter immediately while payments made through transfers or other online transactions are refunded within two weeks and noted that anything outside of these, will not longer be acceptable.

According to him, “Another issue we want to address today is the issue of time frame for refunds and compensations. The regulation states that if a passenger has made payment during securing tickets by cash, the passenger must be refunded by cash immediately at the terminal. We have stated this over time. Some airlines comply, while others don’t.

“The regulations also said that if a passenger has made payment for tickets online or via transfer, the airline has 14 working days to make refund.

There is a lot of default in this regard and the consumer protection department has made a lot of progress in educating the airlines and passengers and even ensure refunds which has attracted the commendation of the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo. However, we have more work to do here to ensure full compliance by airlines.”

On the suspended private jets licences, the NCAA maintained that the ten airlines were suspended for failing to come for recertification and discussions are ongoing to address their challenges, while urging the public to be patient and wait for outcome of the process.

He also said the NCAA recently scored about 98 per cent in recent presidential enabling business Environment Council (PEBEC) ratings and 71.04 per cent in ICAO security audit report.

“Captain Najomo and the NCAA wishes to restart that ease of doing business is an area we will continue to improve on. ot is evident in our highest score with regard to PBEC.

” Recently, our sister agency scored 96 points and we commend them. however, the NCAA scored higher; 98.5 points. This is building on thr commendable score of 71.04 we scored for the security audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

“So, the numbers are improving and we will continue to do everything we can to make the industry safer and secure the passengers and all stakeholder” he said.