The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria has indicated it may move to seize the assets of Dana Air to recover funds owed to passengers and travel agents, following the airline’s prolonged failure to settle outstanding refunds. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed this on Tuesday during the fourth-quarter stakeholder engagement in Abuja, themed “Leveraging Public Feedback to Drive Excellence in Aviation Services.”
Keyamo said he has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to thoroughly investigate why monies owed by Dana Air remain unpaid months after its suspension. He stressed that the government prioritised safety over commercial concerns when suspending the airline’s operations.
“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster. So we didn’t take the commercial thing as a priority. The priority was safety,” the minister said.
He explained that the government would explore all lawful means to ensure passengers and travel agents are refunded, including the sale of Dana Air’s assets if necessary.
“I have asked Najomo to dig deep to find out how those passengers and agents will be refunded. One solution will also be that if these individuals or entities try to return to aviation under any guise, they must settle their debts first. We should look at their assets. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalise their revenue and pay people. NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it,” he said.
Dana Air’s operations were suspended in April 2024 after an MD-82 aircraft with registration 5N-BKI experienced a runway excursion at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The NCAA subsequently halted the airline’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to enable a comprehensive safety and economic audit.
