-
FG considers seizing airline’s assets to refund passengers’ trapped funds.
-
Owerri, Enugu, Yola and Ilorin airports approved for night flights until 10pm.
-
Keyamo says suspension of Dana Air was based on “damning safety reports” and risk to Nigerian travellers.
The federal government (FG) says it may move to recover the assets of Dana Air in order to refund trapped funds belonging to passengers and travel agents.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Tuesday. He said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been directed to develop a clear mechanism for refunding affected passengers.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
Explaining why the NCAA suspended Dana Air operations, Keyamo said the decision was strictly driven by safety concerns. He noted that the ministry encountered “damning reports” on the airline’s safety record.
“For Dana, it was a choice between safety and disaster,” he said. “We didn’t prioritise commercial issues. The reports we met showed a lack of standards that put Nigerian lives at risk. If they continued flying, many of us could have become victims. God forbid.”
READ ALSO: Lagos–Calabar Highway Section to Open in December 2025 – FG
The minister also said efforts are underway to trace all trapped funds and recover them. He added that individuals connected to Dana Air will not be allowed to re-enter the aviation sector under any guise without first settling outstanding debts.
“One solution is to go after their assets. They still have assets; let them sell them. Let’s cannibalise their revenue and pay Nigerians who are owed,” he said.
At the meeting, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) announced that it has approved extended flight operations — up to 10pm — for Owerri, Enugu, Yola and Ilorin airports. Additional ad-hoc approvals have also been granted for Air Peace flights to Anambra and Asaba airports.
NAMA’s Director-General, Engr. Ahmed Umar Farouk, said the agency will continue granting extensions where capacity allows. He noted that the federal government has approved special funding for new NAMA equipment, removing the burden from regular budgetary allocations.
The NAMA DG, represented by Director of Air Traffic Services, John Tayo, highlighted ongoing improvements, including a fully functional flight calibration unit and agreements with Sierra Leone and Liberia for calibration services in line with ICAO standards.
