The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that Nigerian airlines are not banned from the United States but were de-listed from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Category 1 status due to two years of inactivity by Nigerian-registered aircraft.
The NCAA emphasized that this de-listing was not related to safety or security deficiencies, as Nigeria passed International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audits with no significant concerns.
This clarification was issued by the NCAA’s Acting Director General, Captain Chris Najomo, in response to recent reports misrepresenting the situation.
“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,” the statement read in part.
The statement further explained that for Nigerian airlines to operate flights to the United States, Nigeria must pass the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Program and achieve Category 1 status. This status allows Nigerian airlines to fly both Nigerian-registered and dry-leased foreign aircraft into the U.S. under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
Nigeria first earned Category 1 status in August 2010 and maintained it after FAA safety assessments in 2014 and 2017. However, in September 2022, the FAA de-listed Nigeria, along with other countries, for not providing flight services to the U.S. using their own aircraft or a U.S. airline code in the prior two years.
As no Nigerian airline met this criterion, the country was de-listed, and the NCAA was notified of this decision in 2022.
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Furthermore, the statement noted that despite losing Category 1 status, Nigerian airlines can still operate U.S. flights by wet-leasing aircraft from countries with current Category 1 status.
Wet-leasing involves renting an aircraft along with its crew, maintenance, and insurance from another country.
The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to international safety standards and respect for the sovereignty of other nations, including the United States.
The statement also mentioned that Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has initiated a global campaign to help Nigerian airlines access the dry-lease market. This effort included recent discussions with Airbus in France and an MOU with Boeing in Seattle.
Additionally, it noted that the Minister has worked to ensure Nigeria’s full compliance with the Cape Town Convention, aiming to restore international confidence in the Nigerian aviation sector.
With these steps, the NCAA is confident that Nigeria will soon regain and sustain its U.S. Category 1 status.