B737MAX Makes Comeback into Nigerian Airspace - By Daisy BARRO

 

B737MAX

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it is lifting the ban that was placed on the B737MAX – one of Boeing’s star aircraft – thus setting the stage for the jet to make its comeback into the Nigerian airspace.

According to sources, the NCAA received a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) in November 2020, updating it on the progress made by the United States Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety checks on the B737-8 and B737-9 (737 MAX) aircraft.

Following the safety checks, the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) stating a number of steps Boeing needed to take to ensure the safety of the aircraft concerned. These demands included among others that Boeing installs new flight control computer software; modifies horizontal stabilizer trim wire routing installations and conducts an angle of attack sensor system test.

It was only after the above changes were made and a Joint Authority Technical Review (JATR) was conducted comprising several international agencies did the Director General (DG) of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu release a statement to uplift the ban that had been placed on the B737MAX.

For additional security, the NCAA boss further imposed other conditions on intending domestic and international operators who wish to make use of the said aircraft within the Nigerian airspace. He disclosed that the NCAA will continue to “ensure strict compliance to safety regulations”, and that violations will be taken very seriously.

It should be recalled that the B737MAX was suspended from the Nigerian airspace by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, after the aircraft registered two accidents – Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 320 – that led to loss of lives.