Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended flight operations from Bauchi to Abuja by Max Air, one of Nigeria’s prominent airlines over certain faulty features discovered in their aircraft.
According to a letter with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363, the NCAA directed an immediate suspension of Parts A3 and D43 related to Max Air’s operation of Boeing 737 aircraft.
The letter titled Suspension of parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with immediate effect is signed by Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, director of operations training & licensing for the director general of Civil Aviation.
The suspension, as contained in the letter halts aircraft operation by the airline company until the regulatory lifts the ban.
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) hereby suspends Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorization) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet,” the letter partly reads.
In addition, the airline was instructed to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in their fleet.
The decision to suspend Max Air’s operations is a result of several incidents involving their Boeing B737 aircraft, as detailed in the letter. These incidents include the loss of a wheel from the Number 1 Main Landing Gear during a serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft on May 7, 2023, between Yola Airport in Adamawa State and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria.
Additionally, there was a fuel contamination incident in the main fuel tanks of a B737-300 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MHM, leading to the shutdown of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) at Yola Airport on July 7, 2023.
Furthermore, an aborted take-off occurred on July 11, 2023, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD, due to high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication.
On the same day, an aircraft B737-300, registration marks 5N-MHM, made an air return to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) due to a duct overheat indication in the cockpit.
The NCAA has assembled a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of Max Air. The airline’s privileges regarding Operations Specifications will only be restored if the audit results are deemed satisfactory by the Authority, allowing them to resume operating the Boeing aircraft type
