‘Marketers suspended to ensure standard in aviation fuel supply’

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said it suspended the five oil-marketing companies because it has to ensure compliance with safety standards, especially as their ban is linked to complaints from airlines about adulterated Jet A1, leaving residue on their aircraft.

NCAA Wednesday evening directed five oil-marketing companies, Jushad Oil and Gas Limited, Lubcon Limited, Ascon Oil Company Limited, Acon Petroleum Limited, and Star Orient Aviation Limited to stop supplying aviation fuel to airlines due to lack of depot facilities.

Sam Adurogboye, NCAA’s spokesman, who explained the situation, said the complaints of adulterated aviation fuel increased and led the regulatory body to swing into action.

“The genesis was on account of complaints from Jet A1 end users about adulterated fuel. We moved in by carrying out an audit. We called in the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to carry out further audit that led to the current decision. This is in the interest of safe operations by all the operators, both local and foreign,” he told Nigerian Flightdeck.

The regulatory body in a circular referenced: NCAA/DAW/AD. 1104/AOL052/VOL.1, dated November 9, 2015, and addressed to Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) with the title, “Notice of Suspension of Some Companies from Providing Aviation Fuel Supply Services to Airlines at Airports in Nigeria,” noted that the reason for the suspension was that the said companies did not have depots and therefore should not be engaged in the distribution of aviation fuel at the airports.

The letter read: “This is to notify you that the authority is in receipt of a letter from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) that the under listed companies have no depot facilities and should not be engaged in aviation fuel distribution at the airport.”

The letter further asserted, “the integrity and competences of these companies cannot be ascertained by the DPR and advised the Authority that these companies be disallowed from further supply of aviation fuel to airlines located in Nigeria.”

The circular also said NCAA had required the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to deny the aforementioned companies access into airports in Nigeria, including their aviation fuelling vehicles and personnel till further notice.

“You are hereby required to suspend the fuelling of your aircraft by any of these companies until further notice,” NCAA directed the airlines and urged them to ensure strict compliance.

Benedict Adeyileka, director of Airworthiness Standards, on behalf of the director-general of NCAA, signed the circular.

Recall that September 13, 2015, the NCAA commenced official registration of all the aviation fuel marketers very soon.

Muhtar Usman, director-general of the regulatory authority, had signed all the modalities and prerequisites for registration in readiness for the exercise.