First Nation Airways AOC suspended for fleet too small

15th May 2018

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended the Air Operators Certificate of the carrier First Nation Airways from May 11, 2018. The reason of suspension is the use of only one aircraft for scheduled flights, an infringement to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation.

First Nation Airways was a short-lived Nigerian airline who started operating three Airbus A320-200 on lease from April 2011. However, a year later, it stopped its operations due to “serviceability” problems, and gave back the planes to its lessor. It came back in 2013 with a fleet composed of two Airbus A319-113s that were part of the late Italian low-cost carrier Wind Jet.

Only one of these aircraft was in activity, which forced the NCAA to downgrade First Nation’s status to non-scheduled flights in August 2017. However, the airline kept advertising its operations as scheduled and not charter flights.

In a letter sent to local newspaper Daily Trust, the NCAA states: “First Nation Airways is no longer fit to operate air transport business under the authority of the AOC. Accordingly, the Airline’s AOC has been suspended indefinitely, with effect from May 11, 2018, when it received the notice”.

Source – AeroTime