The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has lifted the suspension on United Nigeria Airlines’ Part G Operation Specifications. The suspension was imposed after one of the airline’s flights landed at Asaba International Airport instead of its intended destination, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
United Nigeria Airlines had attributed the diversion of the flight to Asaba to “poor weather” conditions.
However, following an investigation into the incident, the NCAA stated that there was a lack of sufficient communication between the Lessor’s Operation Control Center (OCC) and the Lessee’s OCC, which led to the omission of appropriate flight briefing from the departure point.
The investigation also revealed that both the cockpit and cabin crew failed to conduct preflight briefings before the flight. Additionally, the OCC flight monitoring of United Nigeria Airlines did not include monitoring of the aircraft under the company’s Operation Specifications Part G (Wet Lease Aircraft). Furthermore, there was non-adherence to the approved air traffic control (ATC) flight plan.
Based on these findings, the NCAA recommended that approved flight programs be shared with the lessor and that necessary briefings be conducted with a dispatcher from the lessee present. It was also recommended that both the cockpit and cabin crew hold appropriate briefings before each flight. Furthermore, strict adherence to flight following procedures by both the lessor and lessee’s OCC and Flight Crew is required. All copies of filed flight plans should be handed to the cockpit crew via the lessee’s OCC.
