The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has implemented a suspension on all Boeing 737 airplanes belonging to Max Air, a domestic airline company, News About Nigeria reports.
The suspension was communicated to Max Air through a letter titled “Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect,” with reference number NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363 and dated July 12, 2023.
Capt. Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, the director of Operations, Training, and Licensing at NCAA, signed the letter on behalf of Capt. Musa Nuhu, the director general of NCAA.
The Authority has also established a team of inspectors to conduct an audit on all Boeing 737 aircraft in Max Air’s fleet.
This decision to suspend the aircraft comes as a response to recent incidents involving the Boeing 737 planes operated by Max Air.
The letter explains that Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorization) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air are suspended in relation to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in their fleet.
As a result, Max Air is required to immediately halt the operations of all Boeing B737 planes in their fleet.
The grounds for this suspension are the series of occurrences involving Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft, which are outlined in the letter.
Several occurrences have been recorded, one of which involves the detachment of a wheel from the primary landing gear (MLG) of a Boeing 737-400 aircraft with the registration number 5N-MBD, during a significant incident.
This incident took place between take-off at Yola Airport in Adamawa State and landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on May 7, 2023.
Another incident mentioned in the letter is the fuel contamination of the main fuel tanks of the B737-300 aircraft, registered as 5N-MHM, resulting in the shutdown of the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) on the ground at Yola Airport on July 7, 2023.
Additionally, there was an aborted take-off of a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registered as 5N-MBD, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on July 11, 2023, due to a high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication.
Furthermore, an air return was carried out by the B737-300 aircraft, registered as 5N-MHM, to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) on July 11, 2023, because of a duct overheat indication in the cockpit.
To address these concerns, the Authority has assembled a team of inspectors who will conduct an audit of Max Air’s organization.
The audit’s results must meet the Authority’s satisfaction before considering the restoration of operational privileges for the Boeing 737 aircraft type within Max Air’s operations.
