Airlines on Alert as NCAA Commences Investigation into Fuel Contamination Incidents in Nigeria

• NCAA is setting up a committee to look into the cause of fuel contamination following several cases of contamination
• NCAA president said water was recently discovered in fuel tanks of some airlines
• The Committee will consist of NCAA, FAAN, NMDPRA, NSIB, airliners, pilots and other stakeholders

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said that it will further up its investigation to determine what caused the contamination in some aircraft’s fuel tanks.

Recall that Legit.ng reported that NCAA announced the indefinite suspension of Max Air’s domestic operations following various incidents including contamination of the main tank of aircraft B737-300 with registration number 5N.MHN led to the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) shutting down on the ground at Yola Airport on July 7, 2023.

The NCAA had earlier in a letter to airline operators and other stakeholders had notified them of the prevalence of fuel contamination.

Musa Nuhu, director-general of the NCAA, spoke in a meeting with all domestic and foreign operators, aviation fuel suppliers, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Thursday in Abuja, The cable reported.

Several cases of contamination

According to Nuhu, the probe was started because of a recent occurrence involving a safety violation in which water was discovered in the fuel tanks of several airplanes in the nation.

He said the regulator of the downstream sector was involved because the fuel contamination issue was beyond the aviation ecosystem, adding that the collaboration between the NCAA, NMDPRA, and Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) has been imperative.

He noted that a committee made up of the relevant regulators and stakeholders will soon be set up to ensure aviation fuel quality is constant. The essence of this, he said, is to strengthen safety in the industry.

The NMDPRA’s CEO, Farouk Ahmed, announced that the organization has opened an investigation into the situation and that it was prepared to close any deficiencies that contributed to the occurrence of tainted fuel.

Ahmed said that while he can vouch for the quality of Jet A1 fuel imported, it is almost impossible to tell what happens when the fuel leaves the depot to the fuel bower before fueling the aircraft.

Akin Olateru, NSIB director-general said Fuel contamination is a serious problem that needs to be thoroughly explored while accounting for all potential actors.

Olateru claims that in 2017, the NSIB published safety guidelines advising the NCAA to start a private probe into Nigerian aviation fuel quality. He therefore advised NCAA to step up action in ensuring that the ful is of top quality

Octavus Reacts to Allegation of Contaminating Fuel Supply to Max Air

Legit.ng previously reported that Bola Shagaya’s company, Octavus, had denied supplying Max Air with tainted gasoline.

Peter Dia, the general manager of Octavus, vehemently disputed giving Max Air contaminated fuel in a statement. It stated that there was no evidence tying the incidents that had been reported to the company’s fuel.

Source: Legit.ng