Max Air, a Nigerian private airline, has ceased its domestic operations indefinitely following a suspension by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
This is contained in a letter NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363 obtained by DailyTrust in which NCAA directed the suspension of Parts A3 and D43 with regards to the operation of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft type with immediate effect.
Part A3 is concerned with the airline's Aircraft Authorization, whereas Part D43 is concerned with the Aircraft Listing of the Operations Specifications provided to Max Air Ltd.
As a result, the airline's domestic activities would be halted until the regulatory agency lifted the ban.
The letter reads: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) hereby suspends Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorization) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet.”
“With the above suspension, you are to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in your fleet.
“The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder,” the letter signed by Director, Operations Training & Licensing, Captain Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, for Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Musa Nuhu, further reads.
The occurrences listed in the letter 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 May 7, 2023.
Another incident listed was “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”.
The third occurrence was the aborted take-off of a Boeing 737-400 aeroplane, registration mark 5N-MBD, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on July 11, 2023, due to a high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication.
Lastly, 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 11th of July, 2023.
The NCAA announced the formation of a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of Max Air.