The Federal Government on Friday shocked Nigerians with a statement by one of it's own that the suspension of the Operating Licence of Dana Airlines immediately an aircraft belonging to the airline crashed on June 3 was wrong.
The Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, said the best government could have done was to isolate the particular aircraft, which had already crashed, and allow Dana continue its business.
The Minister, who gave the explanation on a Channels TV breakfast programme, was reacting to the strong condemnations from family members of the victims of the crash, after the FG restored the airline’s operating licence on Wednesday.
The victims of the crash claim that their agony has been worsened by the fact that the government restored the licence even when investigations into the crash are yet to be completed and the remains of some of the deceased are yet to be buried.
To the families, Dana Air, which they accused of negligence, should not be allowed to fly any of its aircraft in the Nigerian airspace until after thorough investigation.
But Oduah explained on Friday that it was against best practices to ground an airline because of a crash. She explained that what was allowed in the aviation sector was to segregate an aircraft and conduct an audit.
Recall that the FG had suspended Dana’s licence on June 5, 2012, two days after its Abuja-Lagos flight 0992 crashed into residential and commercial buildings in Iju-Ishaga, on the outskirts of Lagos, killing 153 passengers and crew on board.
But on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, the government lifted the suspension, saying it was satisfied with the air-worthiness of the airline after a rigorous technical, operational and financial audit.
In his reaction to the development, a lawyer, Mr. Kunle Fadipe, said “I don’t understand this haste. There are issues to be resolved. Emotions are still very tense on the part of several affected families and you want Nigerians to start flying the airline so soon?
“Government and regulators should have allowed emotions to calm down; some people have not even buried their dead. It is very surprising.”
The victims of the crash claim that their agony has been worsened by the fact that the government restored the licence even when investigations into the crash are yet to be completed and the remains of some of the deceased are yet to be buried.
To the families, Dana Air, which they accused of negligence, should not be allowed to fly any of its aircraft in the Nigerian airspace until after thorough investigation.
But Oduah explained on Friday that it was against best practices to ground an airline because of a crash. She explained that what was allowed in the aviation sector was to segregate an aircraft and conduct an audit.
Recall that the FG had suspended Dana’s licence on June 5, 2012, two days after its Abuja-Lagos flight 0992 crashed into residential and commercial buildings in Iju-Ishaga, on the outskirts of Lagos, killing 153 passengers and crew on board.
But on Wednesday, September 5, 2012, the government lifted the suspension, saying it was satisfied with the air-worthiness of the airline after a rigorous technical, operational and financial audit.
In his reaction to the development, a lawyer, Mr. Kunle Fadipe, said “I don’t understand this haste. There are issues to be resolved. Emotions are still very tense on the part of several affected families and you want Nigerians to start flying the airline so soon?
“Government and regulators should have allowed emotions to calm down; some people have not even buried their dead. It is very surprising.”
