FirstNation Vows To Bounce Back After Suspension

Firstnation Airways has said it remains undeterred by the suspension slammed on its operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at the weekend, vowing to bounce back.

The airline in a statement by its spokesman, Rasheed Yusuff said it respects the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and has immediately complied with the directive.

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The NCAA in a statement by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye announced the suspension of FirstNation Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) indefinitely for operating scheduled flights illegally after its operations were downgraded to non -scheduled (Charter only) for want of aircraft.

But the airline described the action media sensationalism, saying such posture would not serve the industry well.

According to FirstNation, it presented two airworthy aircraft, to the authority as far back as September 2017, saying it is apparent that “the context of our operation vis a vis compliance with the extant regulations and Government’s policy have been misconstrued.

“Be that as it may, we will seek reconsideration and review of the suspension, in the light of facts that will be made available to the Authorities. And will cooperate with NCAA in good faith, to address all concerns and the alleged infractions to reach resolution.”

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The airline pointed out that the allegations upon which its license was suspended are not safety related, saying its operations “achieved above industry dispatch reliability of over 95% and reputed for on time performance and schedule integrity.”

Saying the decision to suspend its operation was purely commercial, it said it is working assiduously expand its fleet this year.

“And in an Industry facing worsening Aircraft capacity constraints, the Authority should be forward looking and working with industry to facilitate policies that will endear industry growth, so as not to further limit and compromise passengers’ choice options across all segments. The national interest has not been served by this development”, the airline added.

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