NCAA suspends Max Air’s Boeing 737 operations over safety concerns

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft over safety concerns.

The suspension was conveyed in a letter dated July 12, according to a report.

Specifically, the NCAA suspended Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorisation) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Limited regarding the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft.

Citing a series of incidents that raised safety concerns, the NCAA directed the airline to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in its fleet.

Some of the incidents cited by the NCAA include the “Loss of Number 1 Main Landing Gear (MLG) wheel during the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD, which occurred between Take-off at Yola Airport Adamawa State and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Nigeria on 7th May 2023″.

The aviation regulator also cited “Fuel Contamination of the main fuel tanks of aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM, leading to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) shutdown on ground Yola Airport on the 7th of July, 2023.”

It also raised concern over the aborted take-off of Max Air Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD, which occurred at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) due to high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication on July 11, 2023.

There was also the incident of an air return by aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM, to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) due to duct overheat indication in the cockpit on the July 11, 2023.

“The Authority has constituted a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of your organisation. The result of this audit must be found satisfactory by the Authority prior to considering the restoration of the privileges of the Operations Specifications to your organisation to further operate the aircraft type,” the NCAA said in the letter addressed to Max Air.

The ICIR, on July 10, reported that Max Air was one of the two airlines that accounted for the highest number of domestic flight delays between January and March 2023.

The Accident Investigation Bureau, Nigeria (AIB-N), had in three separate reports flagged Max Air for serious incidents, The ICIR reported.

Reacting to the suspension on Thursday, July 13, the Executive Director of Max Air, Shehu Wada, said the airline was working to resolve the issues.

“The fact is that there was the issue of adulterated fuel which we also noted. It was noticed by our maintenance. We now decided to give ourselves a two-day break to be able to audit ourselves, which the NCAA got the wind of.

“That is the true story. So safety is our number one priority, and we are looking at it. Nobody will joke with the life of anybody,” Wada said in a statement.