Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is going to hold discussion with the European Union Air Safety Committee (ASC) of the European Commission (EC) to resolve all discrepancies that will lead to lifting of the ban on Medview Airlines.
This is part of a series of engagements with the European Commission (EC) in the aftermath of a failed application by Medview Airlines for a Third Country Operator Authorisation to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The application failed during the verification of documents submitted by airlinewhich were found to be non-compliant with Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005 and therefore could not qualify for approval.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) thereafter received the notification of non-compliance through the office of the Nigerian Mission to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Upon receipt of notification the Director General, NCAA, Capt.Muhtar Usman,met with senior officials of European Commission in Gaborone, Botswana,during the Regional Safety Oversight Organization Conference in February of this year. During this meeting extensive discussions were held with a view to resolving the matter.
Similarly, the Regulatory Authority engaged Medview Airlines to straighten out issues arising from the failed application to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
However, the EU Air Safety Committee invited NCAA and Medview for a tripartite meeting in Brussels on the 25th – 26th April, 2017.After the deliberations, the European Commission (EU) with the full support of the EU Air Safety Committee unanimously decided to ban Medview Airlines.
This ban is in accordance with the common criteria set out in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005.
Therefore, the Union’s list of air carriers which are subject to an operating ban within the Union should be amended to include Medview Airlines in Annex A to Regulation (EC) No 474/2006.The ban will take effect a day after it is published in an official journal.
The Commission expressed its readiness to reconsider the inclusion of MedviewAirlines on the EU Air Safety List as soon as all issues of non-compliance are resolved with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
In addition, as part of the efforts to arrive at a resolution and lifting of the ban, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will conduct a full scale audit of Medview Airlines’ operations.
The result would therefore determine further actions and engagements by the Regulatory Authority.