The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended all the wet-leased aircraft under the United Nigeria Airlines (UNA).
This comes a few hours after one of the aircraft of United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) diverted to Asaba International Airport on Sunday rather than the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA).
According to a source close to the NCAA, the regulatory body took the decision on Monday via a letter communicated to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline.
According to the source, all the wet-leased aircraft in the operations of the airline would remain suspended pending the outcome of an investigation on the Sunday incident involving one of the wet-leased aircraft in the fleet of the airline.
It was gathered that immediately after the incident gained traction on social media on Sunday, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Musa Nuhu called an emergency meeting of the agency, where it was resolved that the excuse given by the airline was not tenable to the authority.
It was further gathered that the report obtained from the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) contradicted the airline’s claim on poor weather situation in Abuja at the time of the diversion.
No fewer than two wet-leased Airbus A320-200 aircraft are in the fleet of United Nigeria Airlines.