The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilots involved in the recent chartered aircraft incident near the Asaba Airport in Delta State, barring them from operating in Nigerian airspace pending the outcome of investigations.
Truthng reports that the aviation regulator also grounded the aircraft involved and suspended its Permit to Fly as part of sanctions imposed following the incident.
The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo disclosed this on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit held in Lagos.
Najomo said the regulatory agency had commenced its own investigation after the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau concluded the initial safety inquiry and transferred the regulatory aspect of the case to the NCAA.
Speaking on the ongoing investigation, the NCAA boss confirmed that the aircraft had been grounded while the operating crew had been suspended from flying pending the outcome of the probe.
“The investigation is still ongoing. The NSIB has handed the investigation to us, the NCAA, and we are conducting our own inquiry.
“As we speak, the aircraft has been grounded, the Permit to Fly has been suspended, and the pilots have also been suspended pending the outcome of our investigation,” Najomo said.
The sanctions followed last month’s incident in which a chartered aircraft landed on a road under construction close to the Asaba Airport, raising concerns among aviation stakeholders and prompting calls for a comprehensive investigation.
