By Abiola Olawale
The Federal Government has announced the suspension of the operations of Dana Airline.
The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo made this disclosure on Wednesday. The Minister said the operation of the Dana Airline was suspended due to concerns surrounding the safety and financial viability of their operations.
The announcement comes just a few hours after one of the airline’s craft with registration number 5N BKI skidded off the runway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday morning.
It would be recalled that the airline had been involved in several unwanted situations like this.
In January 2018, a commercial aircraft belonging to Dana Air used its left wing to hit a fence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Dana flight, with registration number 5N-DEV from Port Harcourt, brushed the fence while trying to park after it landed at the NAIA.
It would be recalled also that In January 2018, a commercial aircraft belonging to the airline used its left wing to hit a fence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
The Dana flight, with registration number 5N-DEV from Port Harcourt, brushed the fence while trying to park after it landed at the NAIA.
Six months ago, the aircraft engine of a Dana Air plane reportedly exploded shortly before take-off from Lagos.
However, in a statement by the company, Dana Air denied the explosion, saying its aircraft only experienced “some operational challenges” leading to “non-scheduled maintenance”.
Also, in July 2022, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended Dana Air for multiple regulatory infractions.
The authority said it suspended the operating licenses of the company after “discovering that the airline is no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations”.
Dana Air resumed flight operations five months after the suspension.
Also, in 2012, a major national tragedy was recorded when a Dana airplane crashed in Lagos killing about 159 persons. Mechanical failure and pilot error were said to have caused the crash.
