The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that Max Air will suspend its domestic flight operations for three months, starting from midnight on January 31, 2025.
In a statement on Wednesday, Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, said the suspension will allow the airline’s management to conduct an internal review of its operations.
The decision follows an incident in which a Max Air aircraft lost its landing gear tire while landing.
The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has since launched an investigation to determine the cause of the occurrence.
Achimugu noted that the NCAA had already been conducting risk assessments on all scheduled operators, including Max Air. However, in light of the recent incident, the airline will undergo both a safety and economic audit during the suspension period.
“The NCAA will conduct a thorough safety and economic audit on Max Air,” he stated.
The safety audit will reassess Max Air’s organizational structure, operational procedures, personnel, and aircraft, in line with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Part 1.3.3.3(b)).
Additionally, the economic audit will evaluate the airline’s financial health to ensure it can sustain safe flight operations.
Achimugu emphasized that Max Air’s ability to resume domestic flights will depend on the successful completion of the audit.
While acknowledging the potential inconvenience to passengers, he reiterated that safety remains NCAA’s top priority.