Azman: NCAA report pending as airline loses millions

More than a week after the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended Azman Air, the authority is yet to have the audit report.

The airline was suspended last Tuesday over frequent incidents while an audit of the airline was conducted.

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However, the report of the NCAA audit is still being awaited which would pave the way for the airline to return to service.

Spokesman of the NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye yesterday told this newspaper that he was not sure when the full audit report would be ready. He noted that it would be submitted to the Director-General of the authority, Capt. Musa Nuhu.

“Based on the outcome of the audit, we will tell them what to do and they will do it before they can resume operation. The idea behind the audit is to assist the airline and not to kill it.

“I don’t know if what they will need to do will take a while before they complete the process,” he added.

Meanwhile there is uncertainty among the airline staffers over the payment of this month’s salary.

“We are thinking it would be hard for the airline to pay salary when it is not operating but we are hoping that at least something would still come out,” said a staff of the airline.

The airline operates 15 daily flights to 10 locations including Abuja, Kano, Yola, Maiduguri, Gombe, Kebbi, Lagos, Owerri, among others with its B737 aircraft.

Each of the aircraft carries an average of 100 to 130 passengers which is over 1,500 passengers daily.

With an average of N30,000 per ticket and 1,500 passengers, it loses over N45 million daily and may have lost N500m in the last nine days of its suspension.

The airline said it is cooperating with the regulatory body to address the issues of contention and return to service stronger and better.