By Chinelo Obogo
Member of Senate Committee on Aviation, Ibn Na’Allah, has apologised over the statement from the Senate on the issuance of Air Operators Certificate (AOC) to NG Eagle and warning against political interference on the autonomy of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial seat said that the committee was misled on its directive to the NCAA to suspend the issuance of AOC to the startup carrier and charged the regulatory body to perform its statutory functions of the industry without interference.
The senator stated this during the 50th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) which held in Abuja recently where he said the Senate does not wish to interfere in the statutory functions of NCAA.
The Senate Committee in a letter dated October 11, 2021 and addressed to the Director General, NCAA, signed by its Chairman, Smart Adeyemi, had directed the NCAA to suspend the ongoing issuance of AOC to NG Eagle Airline.
According to the letter, the directive was necessary following the huge debts of Arik Air to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other government agencies in the sector.