**NCAA Explains US Flight Ban: Nigerian Airlines Suspended Due to Category 2 Status**
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the reasons behind the suspension of Nigerian airlines’ operations to the United States, following the country’s reclassification to Category 2 status. This move effectively bans Nigerian airlines from operating flights to the US.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abuja, Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation, explained that Nigerian airlines can only resume US flights after successfully passing the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Programme and achieving Category 1 status. This requirement is standard for all countries seeking to operate flights to the US.
Najomo addressed concerns regarding the ban, stating, “The attention of the NCAA has again been drawn to a publication about the purported ban on Nigerian airlines by the United States. Due to the wrong impression such news could create, it has become expedient that we put this report in its proper perspective.”
He further explained that achieving Category 1 status would allow Nigerian airlines to operate both Nigerian-registered aircraft and dry-leased foreign-registered aircraft into the US, under the existing Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
Providing historical context, Najomo noted that Nigeria initially achieved Category 1 status in August 2010 and retained it after successful safety evaluations by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2014 and 2017. However, a policy change by the FAA in September 2022 led to the delisting of countries, including Nigeria, that did not have an indigenous airline operating direct services to the US or partnering with a US-based carrier within the preceding two years.
“No Nigerian operator has provided service into the United States using a Nigerian-registered aircraft within the two years preceding September 2022,” Najomo said. As a result, Nigeria was delisted from Category 1 status, a decision the country was informed of in 2022.
Najomo emphasized that the delisting was unrelated to any safety or security lapses within Nigeria’s aviation oversight. He pointed out that Nigeria successfully completed comprehensive International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Safety and Security Audits, which found no significant safety or security concerns.
While Nigerian airlines are currently unable to operate direct flights to the US, Najomo highlighted that they can continue to serve the US market by wet-leasing aircraft from countries that maintain Category 1 status.
The NCAA reaffirmed its commitment to upholding international safety and security standards while respecting the sovereignty of other nations, including the United States, as outlined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
