The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has responded to recent claims that Nigerian airlines have been banned from operating in the United States.
In a statement issued by Capt. Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, it was clarified that Nigeria’s de-listing from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Category One status in 2022 was due to procedural reasons rather than safety or security concerns.
Capt. Najomo explained that the de-listing happened because no Nigerian airline had operated a Nigerian-registered aircraft to the U.S. within the two-year period leading up to September 2022. This decision was consistent with FAA regulations, which stipulate that continuous service or technical assistance is necessary to maintain Category One status.
