Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
FIRSTNATION Airways has said that has said that it will return to operations on or before September 15, 2016 stating that it was never on the verge on folding up.
The airline, in a press statement signed by its Corporate Affairs head, Rasheed Yusuff also explained that the airline was undergoing a planned maintenance and had notified the authorities in advance.
The statement in part read, “Our current fleet is undergoing engine maintenance (global airlines have had cause ground larger aircraft fleet types to enhance safety across the globe in the past). Safety is paramount to us and if we have to ground again for safety reasons so be it.”
“This is a planned maintenance and orderly arranged with advance notification to passengers and service will be reinstated on or before September 15, 2016. We are working to grow the fleet as well. All our aircraft have recently undergone C-Check and returned.”
“We currently have no aircraft undergoing C-Check anywhere in the world. Our first fleet of A320 were orderly returned to the Lessor and we maintained a good relationship with the Lessor.”
Nigerianflightdeck.com in a chat with Director of Operations, Captain Chimara Imediegwu also learnt that the two aircraft currently stationed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) are awaiting some specialists to join the airlines engineers to carry out some minor maintenance.
He said, “We are having some engineers fly in to join our engineers to carry out some maintenance and this will make one of those aircraft fly in a few days. The other aircraft will be flown out for maintenance but all things being equal it is safe to say FirstNation Airways will meet its promise and start flying as it said.”
The statement from the airline further highlighted some characteristics stating that,”FirstNation is not on the verge of folding up. In reality, since the Airline launched service in 2011 we have built a strong follower-ship and rated consistently as market leader on safety and schedule integrity. “
“This reputation was reinforced by FirstNation’s achievement of IOSA certification (the airline industry global bench mark for world-class safety standard) in record time of twelve months. The achievement of IOSA certification, within 12 months of application by FirstNation remains unrivaled in West and Central Africa. “
