The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the situation regarding the alleged ban on Nigerian airlines by the United States.
The NCAA explained that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had de-listed Nigeria from its Category One status in September 2022. This action was taken because no Nigerian operator had provided service to the U.S. using a Nigerian registered aircraft within the two-year period preceding the de-listing.
The FAA's decision was not due to any safety or security deficiencies in Nigeria's oversight system, as the country had successfully passed comprehensive ICAO Safety and Security Audits without recording any Significant Safety Concern (SSC) or major Security Concern (SSeC).
The NCAA emphasized that Nigerian operators could still operate into the U.S. using wet-leased aircraft from countries with current Category One status. The Acting Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, stated that Nigeria must satisfactorily pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Programme to regain Category One status.
This would allow Nigerian airlines to operate Nigerian registered aircraft and dry-leased foreign registered aircraft into the U.S., in line with the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
Despite retaining Category One status in previous assessments conducted in 2010, 2014, and 2017, Nigerian airlines have struggled to benefit from this certification. Experts argue that the fragmented nature of Nigerian airlines and their lack of funds, managerial skill, and robust business models prevent them from competing effectively with U.S. carriers.
The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, has been actively working to empower local operators to access the dry-lease market globally. This effort included a visit to AIRBUS in France and the signing of an MOU with BOEING in Seattle, Washington.
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