The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), says it plans to withdraw the operating certificate of Med-View Airline Plc by November, over prolonged shutdown of commercial services.
The withdrawal notice is in line with the Nigerian Civil Aviation’s Regulations (Nig. CARs) that prohibit non-usage of operating licence for between three to nine months or violation of its provisions.
The NCAA had since downgraded the airlines’ scheduled operation to the status of chartered operator. The apex regulator, however, still awaits the revival of its operations accordingly, without which the licence withdrawal will take effect.
The new twist to a festering distress at Med-View has also thrown the management and workers into panic mode.
It was learnt that while the management is jostling to return at least an aircraft into operation, its workers had begun to seek new vacancies elsewhere amid uncertainties at the airline.
Recall that the airline shut down operations early August over protracted financial and operational difficulties.
The management had denied a shut down, but admitted to a temporary blackout to attend to maintenance of its operating aircraft, and is set to resume operations in a matter of days.
A staffer of the airline on Wenesday, said: “despite efforts by the management, there is no hope on the horizon.”
She said although the airline lately paid one month salary out of between six month to one year backlog (depending on the category of a worker), “fears keep mounting over the fate of the airline.
“We learnt that the NCAA will withdraw the licence by November 10. Everyone is panicking. I know some colleagues that had simply sought new jobs and moved on. Even me, I have been submitting my résumé for jobs lately. Nobody seems to understand what the CEO is doing with the airline,” she said.
The NCAA confirmed the licence withdrawal threat.
Spokesperson of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, said in line with the provisions of the civil aviation regulation, the airline’s operation had been downgraded to non-scheduled operations as a stop-gap measure to keep the airline running till its gets out of the woods.
Unlike scheduled operation that requires a minimum of two aircraft according to Nig. CARs, non-scheduled or chartered allows for an aircraft.
Adurogboye added that the airline has till November end to begin chartered operations; otherwise, its operating licence would be withdrawn in accordance to the rules.
“The position of NCAA on Med-View is they should ensure that they start using their AOC for charter operations only between now and November ending. Failure to which their AOC will lapse in line with the provisions of Nig. CARs,” he said.
