Shortly after one of United Nigeria Airlines’ aircraft diverted to Asaba International Airport instead of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken swift action by suspending all wet-leased aircraft under the airline. This decision was communicated to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline via a letter on Monday.
The suspension encompasses all wet-leased aircraft in the airline’s operations, pending the outcome of an investigation into the Sunday incident involving one of the wet-leased aircraft in the airline’s fleet. The move came after the incident gained attention on social media, prompting an emergency meeting of the agency led by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Musa Nuhu.
Contrary to the airline’s claim of poor weather in Abuja at the time of the diversion, a report from the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) contradicted this assertion. The suspension is a response to what the regulatory body perceives as an untenable excuse.
United Nigeria Airlines operates with at least two wet-leased Airbus A320-200 aircraft. In a wet-leased arrangement, one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline (the lessee), which pays based on hours operated. Sometimes, the cabin crew may also be indigenous.
The source close to NCAA explained, “NCAA has suspended all the wet-leased aircraft in the operations of United Nigeria Airlines. The excuse they provided to us that the diversion to Asaba was due to poor weather in Abuja was not acceptable to us. So, we have to take the big step by suspending all the aircraft that are wet leased in their fleet. The aircraft will remain suspended until after investigation.”
The concern raised by the regulatory body extends to the foreign crews of the wet-leased aircraft, emphasizing that they are not familiar with Nigeria. The suspension is seen as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of operations within the country.
In the incident, United Nigeria Airlines flight NUA 0504, enroute from Murtala Muhammed Airport two (MMA2) in Lagos to Abuja, diverted to Asaba International Airport. The airline attributed the diversion to poor destination weather. However, aviation experts disputed this claim, highlighting the regular release of weather reports to pilots and airlines.
The airline maintained that the pilot was aware of the temporary diversion, and the passengers were properly briefed. Nevertheless, a wrong announcement by the cabin crew upon landing in Asaba led to confusion among passengers, according to the airline.
In a separate development, United Nigeria Airlines had recently added a wet-leased Airbus A320-200 from Bulgaria’s Fly2Sky to its fleet. This aircraft is expected to remain in the airline’s fleet until March 31, 2024, supporting domestic capacity during the IATA winter season. LZ-FSA (msn 4247) is based in Nigeria and operates domestic routes under the agreement.
The statement from Fly2Sky’s chief commercial officer, Aleksandrs Gusevs, expressed excitement about bringing the Airbus A320 to Nigeria and supporting United Nigeria Airlines during the winter season, emphasizing the collaboration as an expansion of their business and a strengthening of ties with partners in Africa.
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