By Ben Nsemo
A public outcry followed the discovery of tainted fuel in Max Air’s main tank in July 2023, which prompted the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to announce that it had identified and sanctioned offenders of its fueling laws.
According to NCAA, its cooperation with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) made the identification possible.
At the inauguration of a joint audit committee on aviation fuel activities in Nigeria on Thursday, NCAA Director-General Musa Nuhu’s representative, NCAA Director, Operations, Licencing & Training Standards, Ibrahim Dambazau, stated this.
The NMDPRA, NCAA, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Association of Aviation Marketers, and Department of State Security (DSS) are among the organisations represented on the committee.
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The committee was established to look into the supply and usage of aviation fuel, the origin of contamination, and suggest fixes to stop further incidences of fuel contamination in the nation.
According to NCAA, the aviation industry regulator’s fuel criteria must be followed by airline operators and other parties.
The NCAA stated that it is understandable that the public is upset over the Max Air contaminated fuel.
He added: “I want to assure the Nigerian public and the world at large that the Nigerian aviation industry and our skies are safe as the NCAA has always been thorough in granting approvals in addition to our oversight responsibilities, which include surveillances and audits of all operators involved in the aviation industry to ensure the highest level of safety in our skies.
“The authority has not been sleeping and have taken steps in the aftermath of the incidents, which included the investigation of all the incidents that have been reported, collaboration with sister agencies in the aviation industry like FAAN, NSIB, NMDPRA that issue licenses, and DSS.”
