The Federal government has grounded all wet leases belonging to United Nigeria Airlines, News About Nigeria reports.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made this disclosure after a technical meeting with key aviation heads on Monday in Abuja.
He rejected the report of United Nigeria Airlines, which stated that its diversion from Abuja to Delta was a result of bad weather, maintaining that there was no weather problem in Abuja on Sunday.
He noted that investigations into the incident revealed that the diversion was a result of a wet lease plane where the pilot and crew were all foreigners and not Nigerians, so they were not familiar with the Nigerian terrain.
He, therefore, ordered that all wet leases, which involve the leasing of an airplane including crew, maintenance, and insurance, usually for a very short period of time, entering the country must have Nigerian cabin crew and pilot on board.
The minister also disclosed that he had ordered the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, to begin an investigation into accidents that have happened recently, including the minor ones and those classified as serious incidents, even though there were no fatalities. He added that a comprehensive report should be submitted by the bureau in 10 days.
Speaking on flight cancellations and delays by airlines, the minister assured Nigerians that they are aware of their plights, adding that the ministry is searching for ways to compensate Nigerians who bear the brunt of flight cancellations.
He urged Nigerians not to panic, stating that a committee has been set up to ensure that a code can be generated so that they can use it when they want to purchase the next ticket. He added that the ministry is doing all it can to ensure passenger satisfaction and the safety of air travellers.
