By Chinelo Obogo
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) has suspended the operation of all of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft type with immediate effect over safety breaches.
The agency through a letter issued on July 12, with reference, NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363 and signed by the Director, Operations Training and Licensing, Captain Ibrahim Dambazau, directed the suspension of Parts A3 which deals with the aircraft authorisation and D43 with regards to the aircraft listing of the operations specifications issued to Max Air.
The NCAA said it has constituted a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of Max Air and the result of this audit, it said, must be found satisfactory by the Authority prior to considering the restoration of the privileges of the Operations Specifications the airline to further operate the aircraft type.
The letter reads: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority hereby suspends Parts A3 (aircraft authorisation) and D43 (aircraft listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet.
“With the above suspension, you are to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in your fleet. The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder:
“Loss of number one 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 onlanding at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Nigeria on 7th May, 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 Yola Airport on the 7th of July, 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 the 11th of July, 2023; and an air return by aircraft B737-300, registration marks; 5N-MHM to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport due to duct overheat indication in the cockpit on the 11th of July, 2023.”