NCAA lifts suspension on Max Air, domestic operations commence today

Nigeria’s leading airline, Max Air is set to resume its domestic flight operations today, Sunday, July 30, 2033.

This is as the Nigeria Civil Aviations Authority, NCAA, lifts its two weeks long suspension on the flight company.

Max Air was on July 13, suspended indefinitely by the NCAA over safety concerns which the authority cited in a letter dated July 12, 2023, marked NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363 and signed by the NCAA director of operations, training and licensing, Ibrahim Dambazau on behalf of Musa Nuhu, its director general.

According to the letter which was titled, ‘suspension of parts A3 and D43 of the operations specifications issued to Max Air with immediate effect,’ NCAA had reportedly suspended max Air for:

• “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 May 7, 2023.
• “Fuel contamination of the main fuel tanks of aircraft B737-300, registration marks; 5N-MHM, leading to the auxiliary power unit (APU) shutdown on ground at Yola Airport on July 7, 2023.
• “Aborted take-off of Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD, which occurred at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) due to high exhaust gas temperature (EGT) indication on July 11, 2023 and,
• “An air return by aircraft B737-300, registration marks; 5N-MHM to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) due to duct overheat indication in the cockpit on the 11th of July, 2023.

Announcing the resumption in a statement on Saturday night, Max Air assured its passengers that the safety issues raised by the NCAA had been addressed.

The statement reads: “Max Air Limited is pleased to announce the resumption of domestic flight operations from Sunday, July 30, 2023, following a temporary suspension due to safety concerns.

“We want to express our gratitude to our valued customers for their understanding and patience during this period.

“Safety is at the core of MaxAir Limited’s values, and we take our commitment to passenger safety with the utmost seriousness. After conducting a thorough internal investigation, it was brought to our attention that our operations were impacted by adulterated fuel.

The company said it had already taken steps to address the issue by voluntarily shutting down it’s operations even before the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority intervened.

“As a result, we promptly initiated an in-house audit and, in the interest of passenger safety, voluntarily suspended our operations for two days before the intervention of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“We would like to reassure all our passengers that we have been working diligently to address the safety concerns raised during this suspension period.”

Max Air further expressed its concern for all those whose travel plans were disrupted due to the suspension of its operations while extending a word of apology.

It assured that the company’s team was readily available to attend to all needs and enquiries of customers hence the statement:

“Our dedicated team has been working around the clock to resolve these issues. We understand the importance of your travel plans and the trust you place in MaxAir Limited.

“We apologise for any disruption caused and assure you that our customer support team is available to assist with any inquiries and provide you with the necessary support to make your travel experience seamless.”