MaxAir (Nigeria) (VM, Katsina) has announced it will resume domestic operations on March 21 after receiving the all-clear from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
"We're back in the skies! MaxAir resumes domestic operations from March 21!" the airline proclaimed on social media.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed MaxAir's capacity to sustain safe flight operations and cleared the airline to resume domestic flights at midnight on March 17.
MaxAir had voluntarily suspended its domestic operations on January 31 for 90 days after a series of in-flight incidents resulted in the NCAA launching a thorough safety and economic audit of the airline.
NCAA spokesman Michael Avchimugu confirmed the carrier had successfully completed a two-day NCAA economic and safety audit between February 26 and 28, during which the regulator had re-inspected MaxAir's organisation, procedures, personnel, and aircraft in accordance with Nigeria's Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs). He said the NCAA would continue to monitor MaxAir closely to ensure strict compliance with the regulations.
It was not the first time the authority had scrutinised MaxAir's operations. The latest incident that raised red flags included a nose-wheel landing gear collapse and a rear tyre burst during the landing of a B737-400, 5N-MBD (msn 28704), at Kano on January 28. On May 7, 2023, the same aircraft lost one main landing gear during a flight between Yola and Abuja. Due to high exhaust gas temperature, it also aborted a takeoff in Kano on July 11, 2023.
On July 7, 2023, fuel contamination caused the auxiliary power unit of a B737-300, 5N-MHM (msn 28330), to shut down at Yola. On July 11, 2023, the same aircraft had to return to Abuja due to an overheating duct warning.
ch-aviation data records 11 incidents and accidents involving MaxAir aircraft, including three serious incidents including the May 2023 one, plus one in 2021 and another in 2019.
ch-aviation has reached out to MaxAir for comment.
