Dana Air (9J, Lagos) has suspended its flights as all five of its aircraft are currently parked for maintenance, the Nigerian media have reported.
The Per Second News online news website has found out that all of Dana Air's aircraft were grounded as of February 20, 2023.
"We wish to apologise to our guests for the cancellation of some of our flights recently due to reduced capacity. While we are making efforts to get back to the full strength of our schedule, we have made necessary arrangements to re-protect some of the affected passengers on other airlines, while others will be rescheduled to their preferred future flights at no extra cost," the carrier said in a statement.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Dana Air's fleet comprises two B737-300s, one MD-82, and three MD-83s. One of the B737s, 5N-DNB (msn 27721), is undergoing maintenance at Naples Capodichino, while the other aircraft are stored in Nigeria. The airline is reportedly seeking an engine to reactivate MD-82 5N-BKI (msn 49482), which is parked at Lagos airport. ADS-B data websites do not track Dana Air's flights. The carrier's internet booking engine shows no flights available until March 5, when it plans to restart services to Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, and Port Harcourt Awolowo.
Dana Air was grounded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in mid-2022 for its failure to comply with financial and safety requirements. The carrier restarted operations in November last year. In a statement to Punch NG, the regulator lauded the airline's decision to ground its flights for maintenance instead of trying to skirt its obligations.
"They noticed that some of their aircraft were due for maintenance and they informed us accordingly. I think it is commendable for an operator to ground its aircraft for maintenance," Director General of the NCAA Musa Nuhu said.
