Max Air Resumes Operation After NCAA’s Suspension Over Safety Issues
Max Air Ltd has announced flight resumptions across seven destinations after the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended its operations over safety issues.
Max Air said on Monday, “We are back flying. Your reliable and safe service at affordable prices is back. Book now!”
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The airline will operate flights in Kano State, Lagos, Abuja, Yola, Maiduguri, Sokoto and Katsina State, the Airline said.
The embattled airline had been suspended from operations in a letter with reference number, NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363, dated July 12, 2023.
In the letter titled, ‘Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect,’ the regulator explained that Max aircraft, the Boeing 737 has had several issues while lifting passengers.
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NCAA said, “The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder:
“Loss of Number 1 Main Landing Gear (MLG) wheel during the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD which occurred between Take-off at Yola Airport Adamawa State and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Nigeria on 7th May 2023.”
The NCAA called for an investigation into the matter, and it set up a panel to audit the Max Air fleet.
THE WHISTLER had reported that a few days after the NCAA team concluded their investigation, Max Air released a statement on July 29th, 2023 notifying customers that it would resume operations on July 30th, 2023.
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But THE WHISTLER had exclusively obtained a document which revealed that the NCAA communicated to Max Air the audit findings on August 1, 2023, in a letter with ref: NCAA/DAWS/AD.1127/VOL.7/067.
The letter was issued to Max Air before it announced commencement of operations by July 30th 2023.
One of the key issues revealed in the audit report is that Max Air submitted altered records to the NCAA and failed to replace some life-limited components due for replacement.
The report said, “For instance, the status of hard time components submitted by Max Air to the Authority during C of A renewal of 5N-MHM in 2022 includes this information: a. That the last hydrostatic test (HST) on a Cargo fire Extinguisher with P/N 34200409-1 and S/N 0511E1 was indicated as last carried out on 30th June 2013, and that it would become due on 30th June 2023.
“The second concern it revealed is that Max Air did not provide evidence that the main landing gears recently installed on 5N-MHM on 10th May 2023 are airworthy or serviceable.”
