In Lagos yesterday, Mrs. Victoria Adegbe, the Secretary-General of FLIDAN (Flight Dispatchers Association of Nigeria), expressed the association’s belief that Dana Air deserves recognition for the bravery displayed by its crew, advocating for the lifting of their suspension with immediate effect.
Previously, on April 24, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend the airline’s operations. This directive followed an incident on April 23, where one of the airline’s aircraft, an MD-82 with registration number 5N BKI, veered off runway 18L/36R at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja.
Mrs. Victoria Adegbe argued that the responsibility for ensuring the continued airworthiness of an aircraft lies solely with the NCAA, not the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace. She described the suspension of Dana Airlines’ operations as “hasty.”
According to her, suspending the entire operations of an Air Operations Certificate (AOC) holder is overly punitive. As long as an airline’s AOC holder can demonstrate that the aircraft is airworthy, it should be allowed to continue flying.
In her analysis of the aircraft’s situation at the time of the incident, she explained that the Pilot in Command (PiC) had to perform a go-around upon realizing that the landing gear of the aircraft was down but not locked. Subsequently, the aircraft landed with the nose wheel resting in soft grass, resulting in no casualties. Evacuation was efficiently conducted by the cabin crew, and the runway was closed as per the issued Notice To Air Men (NOTAM).
She emphasized that if the nose-wheel issue had been detected before the aircraft took off, it would have been handled as a Maintenance Exclusion List/Certificate of Airworthiness (MEL/CDL) item, preventing the aircraft from being released for operation. Therefore, the pilot’s handling of the abnormal condition in accordance with procedures deserves commendation.
Finally, Mrs. Adegbe highlighted that such conditions were anticipated by the manufacturer, and operators are adequately trained to handle them.
Since FLIDAN, the industry professionals, express confidence in Dana Air’s safety protocols and the competence of its crew, passengers may feel more comfortable flying with the airline despite recent events.
It also sends a message that, despite the suspension and incident, industry professionals believe in the competence and safety of Dana Air’s operations.
The acknowledgment of the crew’s bravery by FLIDAN may instill confidence in the skills and professionalism of airline personnel.
Furthermore, passengers may feel reassured knowing that flight dispatchers, who play a crucial role in flight operations, stand behind Dana Air’s crew members.
