Dana Air will on Friday (tomorrow)
resume flight operations, approximately seven months and one day after the
airline was involved in a fatal crash in Lagos on June 3, leading to the death
of 163 people.
The Head, Corporate Communications,
Dana, Mr. Tony Usidamen, who confirmed the development on Wednesday, said the
resumption came after necessary approval was received from the Federal
Government.
“We are resuming operations on
Friday. Our inaugural flight is 9:45am on Friday. Several dignitaries from
aviation agencies and our brand ambassadors will be on board the flight,”
Usidamen said.
Investigations by our correspondent
revealed that the Federal Government had on Monday given its final approval for
Dana Air to resume flight operations.
The approval, dated December 31,
2012, was contained in a letter to the Director-General, Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, and signed by the Minister of Aviation,
Ms. Stella Oduah.
The letter, a copy of which was
obtained by our correspondent, was, titled, ‘Release of Dana Air to return to
flight operations.’
The letter read, “Your letter
NCAA/DG/GM/115/vol/32 dated December 18, 2012, stating that NCAA has carried
out recertification of Dana Air and the airline has completed phase five of Air
Operators Certificate re-certification process, including conducting of proving
and test flights and praying for release of Dana Air to return to flight
operations refers.
“This letter is to convey my approval
for the resumption of flight operations of Messrs Dana Air Limited with the
following conditions: Messrs Dana Air should complete payment of compensations
of all insurance obligations/claims within two months to the dependents of the
victims of the crash, and the airline should abide by the safety regulations of
the NCAA and strict surveillance by your organisation.”
Dana Air, which was involved in a
fatal crash in Lagos on June 3, 2012, had its licence revoked by the government
two days after.
In September, the government
reinstated the licence. In early December, NCAA issued a new Air Operators
Certificate to the airline after it completed the necessary recertification
process.
.