Let Dana, FG Come To A Compromise

The Ministry of Aviation and the Presidency seem to be in a dilemma regarding the way forward for Dana Air which was suspended last month after one of its planes crashed in Lagos. The authorities must come to a fair compromise with the airline.

The crash on 3 June was tragic and the losses were heavy. More than 150 people were killed on board the ill-fated plane while others lost their lives on the ground at Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos where the tragedy occurred.

The Dana accident remains Nigeria’s worst commercial air disaster in almost two decades and emotions have remained very high. The corpses were so badly affected on impact that only 52 out 149 bodies that were recovered could be identified. About 97 others had to undergo DNA tests for proper identification. As a result, most of the bodies have not been buried as the Lagos State Government insists on giving the right corpses to the right owners.

The question the authorities seem to be grappling with at the moment is: When should Dana fly again? Or should Dana even fly again after that tragic accident? The outpouring of grief that followed the incident seems to be holding back the authorities as they do not want to appear insensitive by allowing Dana to resume flight operations.

Shortly after the plane crash, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, suspended the Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, of Dana Air and announced that the airline would have to undergo re-certification when primary investigation is concluded and if the airline is not indicted. The interim report on the Dana Air crash was recently released by the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, which is saddled with the responsibility of investigating air disasters in Nigeria. The report neither indicted the airline nor the NCAA. Rather, it said that the plane lost both engines and the Flight Data Recorder, FDR, which could have established why both engines packed up almost simultaneously, was burnt and no data could be found on it in the United States where the analysis was carried out.

The NCAA had also said the ill-fated plane was within age range and had undergone its “A” check two days to the accident. Moreover, Dana Air has not been found to have violated any of the Nigerian aviation laws.

Since the crash, the compensation of the families of the victims has been ongoing. Those who have completed identification process have collected 30,000 dollars advance compensation fees as prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO. Dana has also maintained contacts with the families of the victims, and has continually called on those who are yet to come forward to do so for adequate compensation to be paid to them.

But almost two months after the tragic incident, Dana Air has remained grounded and the belief that no Nigerian airline survives a plane crash seems to be reality. Neither the NCAA nor the Ministry of Aviation has issued any clear guidelines to the airline on potential resumption date. It seems that there are no clear policies regarding airline operations post aviation incidents in Nigeria.

On Tuesday, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, sent a letter to the Ministry of Aviation, urging it to lift suspension on Dana Air. According to them, the airline was not indicted by the AIB or the NCAA and its five remaining aircraft are safe to fly again.

We believe the Federal Government and Dana Air must come to a compromise and the airline be allowed to fly again. While we continue to commiserate with the families of the victims, we will continue also to play our role of watchdog of the society by watching as adequate compensation is paid to all the claimants.

Neither Dana Air nor the aviation authorities can bring the departed back to life but international regulations on compensation must be adhered to. We insist that the best way to honour those who passed away is to make the aviation industry safer and ensure that such an incident never happens again. True, as AON put it, absolute safety does not exist anywhere on earth but with proper regulations, integrity and standards, we can make our skies safer.