The Federal Government has dismissed recent reports suggesting that Nigerian airlines have been delisted from operating flights to the United States due to safety deficiencies.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) clarified that the delisting, which occurred in September 2022, was not due to any safety or security issues. Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of the NCAA, explained that the delisting resulted from the fact that no Nigerian carrier had operated flights to the U.S. with Nigerian-registered aircraft during the preceding two-year period.
Najomo stated, “To operate into the United States, Nigeria must pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program and maintain Category 1 status. Nigeria first attained this status in August 2010, with subsequent assessments in 2014 and 2017 confirming its compliance.”
He further noted, “The delisting was not due to safety or security deficiencies in our oversight system. Nigeria has consistently met international safety and security standards, with no significant safety or security concerns recorded.”
Najomo also pointed out that Nigerian operators can still fly into the U.S. using aircraft wet-leased from countries with current Category 1 status. The NCAA continues to follow international standards and respects the sovereignty of nations as outlined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
In response to the delisting, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has launched an international campaign to improve the local aviation sector’s access to the dry-lease market. This includes recent visits to AIRBUS in France and Boeing in the U.S., and efforts to ensure Nigeria’s compliance with the Cape Town Convention.
Keyamo’s initiatives are aimed at regaining and sustaining Nigeria’s Category 1 status in the near future.
