Nigerian carrier Dana Air (9J) has issued an update apropos its return to scheduled ops. Amongst the points mentioned is the conformity to a new Nigerian aviation regulation stipulating that all aircraft operated by domestic airlines in Nigeria are to be fitted with an Automated Flight Information Reporting System, as part of efforts to ensure air safety in the country. |
| Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 (DC-9-83) (Ken Iwelumo) |
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Re-certification
- Following the lifting of the suspension on the airline's operations by the Federal Government on September 5, 2012, the airline commenced a process of recertification by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The recertification exercise is a standard safety measure taken by the authorities to ensure that all the aircrafts in the fleet are fully serviceable, and Dana Air has been cooperating fully in the exercise.
- Of the 5 aircraft in our fleet, 3 are currently on ground at Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport MMA2 and have undergone thorough internal engine inspection and systems by NCAA, while the other 2 are undergoing scheduled C-Checks in Istanbul, Turkey and Miami, Florida. The airline also organized an independent inspection of all aircrafts by Aircraft Leasing and Management (ALM) - a leading aviation consulting company based in the United Kingdom.
- A five-year contract has been signed with FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. for its flagship Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) 228 at an estimated cost of USD1million. The contract requires the Canadian firm to install the AFIRS 228 on all the five (5) Boeing McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft in our fleet to provide real-time flight data monitoring and to assist in achieving maintenance and opera¬tional efficiencies.
- Station inspections including operations offices, engineering stores and maintenance facilities have been completed. Airline procedures and manual verifications have also been concluded, and the credentials of key post holders and management staff have been satisfactorily verified.
- Refresher courses and recurrent training for all our staff have been completed: All Pilots have gone through Simulator Training, Crew Resource Management (CRM), Familiarization and Touch and Go Flights Training as well as Ground School Training; Cabin Crew Recurrent Training has been completed and, as recommended by the NCAA, the programme included additional days for safety and fire drills. All ground staff have also concluded requisite training.
- More than 50 hours of Demonstration Flights, with full crew and NCAA inspectors on board, were successfully completed on October 24, 2012, and the airline is expected to be issued its new Air Operator Certificate (AOC) in a few days, following which, the date of resumption will be announced.
- Beyond the requirements by the NCAA, the airline is also committed to completing all audit requirements for listing in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry by 2013, a process it began several months back. IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents about 240 airlines worldwide and IOSA is the benchmark for global safety management in airlines. The programme is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. The implementation of IOSA recommended practices by member airlines ensures continuous updating of standards to reflect regulatory revisions and the evolution of best practices within the industry.
Dana Air had its Air Operator's Licence suspended following the crash of Dana Air Flight 9J-997 which slammed into a Lagos suburb in early June of this year.
The crash is believed to have been caused by dual engine failure whose
subsequent forced landing resulted in the deaths of all 153 people on
board as well as six on the ground.