NCAA probes diversion of Abuja-bound flight to Asaba

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the diversion of a Lagos-Abuja-bound flight to Asaba on Sunday.

To this end, the authority has suspended the operations of two wet-leased aircraft in the fleet of the airline.

It was learned that the suspension was communicated to the airline via a letter today.

Our correspondent reports that there was confusion in the industry when the NUA flight 0506 heading to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja from the Murtala Muhammed Airport terminal two (MMA2) landed in Asaba.

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The airline later issued a statement that the diversion was due to weather while the flight crew announced the flight had landed in Abuja.

It was learned that information from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) contradicted the statement of the airline that the diversion was due to weather.

This was why the NCAA suspended the two wet-leased aircraft in the airline’s fleet. A wet lease is a leasing option where an airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline or other types of business acting as a broker of air travel (the lessee), which pays by hours operated.

With the wet lease from Bulgaria’s Fly2Sky (F6, Sofia), the entire crew including the pilot and cabin crew are foreigners.

In a statement, the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu said the authority had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the diversion to Asaba and “The confusion it has created in the public domain.”

He said, “However, preliminary steps have been taken pending conclusions of the ongoing investigation. The Authority wishes to reassure the traveling public that it will leave no stone unturned as it has always done in the past to ensure the continued safety of the aviation industry.”