FG admits It suspended Dana Airline licence in error

The Federal Government on Friday admitted that the suspension of the Operating Licence of Dana Airlines immediately an aircraft belonging to the airline crashed on June 3 was against global aviation practices.

The FG said the best it could have done then was to isolate the particular aircraft involved in the crash and carry out the necessary investigations.

Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, gave the explanation on a Channels TV breakfast programme.

She was reacting to the strong condemnations from the family members of the victims of the crash, after the FG restored the airline’s operating licence on Wednesday.

The FG had suspended Dana’s licence on June 5, 2012, two days after its Abuja-Lagos flight 0992 crashed into residential and commercial buildings in Iju-Ishaga, on the outskirts of Lagos, killing 153 passengers and crew on board.

But on Wednesday, the FG lifted the suspension, saying it was satisfied with the air-worthiness of the airline after a rigorous technical, operational and financial audit.

The decision, however, attracted criticisms from those affected. The victims of the crash, claim that their agony has been worsened by the fact that the government restored the licence even when investigations into the crash are yet to be completed and the remains of some of the deceased are yet to be buried.

To them, Dana Air, which they accused of negligence, should not be allowed to fly any of its aircraft in the Nigerian airspace.

But Oduah explained on Friday that it was against best practices to ground an airline because of a crash.

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