NCAA suspends Max Air’s 737 aircraft type over safety concerns

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has suspended the operations of all Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft types with immediate effect.

NCAA disclosed this through a letter issued to the airline’s managing director, dated July 12, 2023, where it stated that it has suspended Parts A3 and D43 with regards to the operation of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft type with immediate effect.

Parts A3 deals with the airline’s Aircraft Authorization and D43 deals with Aircraft Listing of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd.

The letter titled Suspension of parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate effect is signed by Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, director of operations training & licensing for the director general of Civil Aviation.

The letter reads “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) hereby suspends Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorization) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet.

“With the above suspension, you are to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in your fleet.

“The Authority’s action is due to the several occurrences that involved your Boeing B737 aircraft as listed hereunder:

“Loss of number 1 Main Landing Gear (MLG) wheel during the serious incident involving a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBDwhich occurred between Take-off at Yola Airport Adamawa State and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Nigeria on 7th May 2023;

“Fuel contamination of the main fuel tanks of aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM, leading to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) shutdown on ground Yola Airport on the 7th of July, 2023;

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“An aborted take-off of Boeing 737-400 aircraft, registration marks 5N-MBD, which occurred at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) due to high Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) indication on the 11th of July, 2023; and

“An air return by aircraft B737-300, Registration Marks; 5N-MHM to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) due to duct overheat indication in the cockpit on the 11th of July, 2023.

The NCAA according to the letter of suspension has constituted a team of inspectors to conduct an audit of your Max Air.

The result of this audit, it stated must be found satisfactory by the authority prior to considering the restoration of the privileges of the operations specifications to the airline to further operate the aircraft type.