FG suspends all wet lease aircraft under United Nigeria Airlines

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended all the wet-leased aircraft under the United Nigeria Airlines (UNA).

The news comes after one of the aircraft of United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) diverted to Asaba International Airport rather than the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday, November 26.

The apex civil aviation regulatory body took the decision on Monday, November 27, via a letter communicated to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the airline.

According to Nigerian Tribune, all the wet-leased aircraft in the operations of the airline would remain suspended pending the outcome of an investigation on the Sunday incident, involving one of the wet-leased aircraft in the fleet of the airline.

It was gathered that immediately after the incident trended online, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Musa Nuhu called an emergency meeting of the agency, where it was resolved that the excuse given by the airline was not tenable to the authority.

It was gathered that the report obtained from the Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), contravened the claim of the airline on poor weather situation in Abuja as at the time of the diversion.

No fewer than two wet-leased Airbus A320-200 aircraft are in the fleet of United Nigeria Airlines.

A wet-leased is a leasing arrangement whereby one airline (the lessor) provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) to another airline or other type of business acting as a broker of air travel (the lessee), which pays by hours operated.