The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has has explained the de-listing of Nigerian category 1 status by United States of America Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, saying it has nothing to do with any safety or security deficiency.

Reacting to a publication about the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by United States, the Ag. Director General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo stated that it has become expedient that the agency put thebreport in its proper perspective due to the wrong impression such news could create.

Najomo explained further that 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.

According to him: ” 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”.

He pointed out 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 he said were countries who the FAA was not providing technical assistance to based on identified areas of non-compliance to international standards for safety oversight.

Najomo stated further that 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.

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

He emphasised that 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, stressing that this provision gives States complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above their territories.

Najomo noted that it is in full realisation of this situation that has since prompted the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, to embark on an aggressive international campaign to empower 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 NCAA boss added that 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.

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