FG Dismisses Allegations Of US Prohibiting Nigerian Airlines

FG Dismisses Allegations Of US Prohibiting Nigerian Airlines
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The Federal Government has refuted claims that Nigerian airlines have been banned from US airspace by the American government. Reports surfaced on Sunday, September 1, suggesting that Nigeria had lost its Category One status under the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program…………CONTINUE READING 

This would imply that Nigerian airlines, including Air Peace, which was planning direct flights from Lagos to New York, would be unable to operate into US cities until Nigeria is re-evaluated and reinstated.

In response, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issued a statement on Monday evening to clarify the situation. The NCAA explained that Nigeria, like other countries, must meet the standards of the IASA program to achieve Category One status, which allows Nigerian airlines to operate into the US. Nigeria first achieved this status in August 2010 and retained it through subsequent assessments in 2014 and 2017. However, starting September 2022, the FAA removed countries from the Category One list if no indigenous operator used Nigerian-registered aircraft or if the FAA was not providing technical assistance due to safety oversight issues. Nigeria was de-listed in 2022 as a result of this policy.

The NCAA emphasized that this de-listing was not due to safety or security deficiencies but rather a result of the lack of Nigerian operators providing service to the US with Nigerian-registered aircraft. Nigerian airlines can still operate into the US using wet-leased aircraft from countries with current Category One status.

The NCAA assured that Nigeria adheres to international safety and security standards and respects the sovereignty of other states. The Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has been actively working to improve Nigeria’s aviation market through international partnerships and compliance with the Cape Town Convention. The NCAA is confident that Nigeria will soon regain and sustain its Category One status with these efforts.