The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the pilots involved in the recent Asaba airport incident and barred them from operating in Nigerian airspace pending the outcome of an investigation
The agency also grounded the aircraft involved and suspended its Permit to Fly.
NCAA Director-General, Capt. Chris Najomo, disclosed the development while speaking on the sidelines of the Airport Business Summit in Lagos.
The action follows last month’s incident in which a chartered aircraft landed on a road under construction near Asaba Airport in Delta State, raising serious concerns across the aviation industry. The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) initially launched a safety probe before transferring the regulatory investigation to the NCAA.
Najomo revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) has also joined the investigation.
“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. As a pilot with 45 years of experience, I will not see a road and land on it.
“We are also looking at other possible motives. The DSS has become involved and is carrying out its own investigation too. Until the report is released, that remains the position,” he said.
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