By Aliyu DANLADI
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Thursday said Chanchangi Airways was not carrying out any form of operation in the country.
General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Mr Sam Adurogboye, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Lagos.
Adurogboye explained that there was no controversy concerning the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) of Chanchangi Airways.
He said :”At present and quite evidently Chanchangi Airways is not carrying out any form of operation. In order words everything concerning the airline has been archived”.
According to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) 2015, Part 9.1.1.12(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no AOC holder may conduct a kind of operation for which it holds authority in its operations specifications.
“This is unless the AOC holder has conducted that kind of operation within the preceding number of consecutive calendar days specified in this paragraph for scheduled operations, 30 days.
“For non–scheduled operations, 90 days except that if the AOC holder has authority to conduct scheduled operations, and has conducted scheduled operations within the previous 30 days, this paragraph does not apply.”
Adurogboye explained that it was not obtaining the AOC that was the most important, what defines an airline was the validity of its operational specifications.
“Therefore, since the airline in question is not operational, it is curious where the controversy is arising from. The airline got the AOC when it was operating a Boeing 737 for cargo operations.
“At the expiration of the mandatory number of days for initial operation as specified in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, the sanction was automatically activated and the airline was been grounded.
“The airline has remained grounded till date. Their aircraft was leased by another airline and is at present un-serviceable due to lack of maintenance.”
Adurogboye noted that the NCAA would continue to provide a robust regulation of the industry, stressing that every infraction would be viewed seriously.
Chanchangi Airways’ AOC was revoked in September 2013, by the NCAA for breaching the civil aviation regulations.
