Airline grounded after crash kills 153

Aviation authorities have grounded all Dana Air planes after a crash in Nigeria which killed all 153 people on board.


The Dana Air plane crashed into buildings in a densely populated district north of Lagos on Sunday. It was flying to the city from the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it will carry out a total system check of Dana Air - including the company's planes, maintenance procedures, personnel and books.


"Their operational licence has been suspended until we carry out their recertification," spokesman Sam Adurogboye told the BBC.


Lawmakers are to carry out their own separate investigation into the crash - and want the director general of Nigeria's independent civil aviation authority, Harold Demuren, to be suspended until they conclude the probe, said the BBC.


In August 2010, the US gave Nigeria its top safety rating, allowing its domestic carriers to fly directly to America.


The country"s president Goodluck Jonathan declared three days of mourning on Monday and promised improvements to air safety.


According to reports, on May 10 a Dana Air aircraft coming from Uyo made an emergency landing at Lagos Airport following "loss of hydraulic pressure".


It is not known whether this was the same aircraft.

The airline's website says it began commercial flight operations in November 2008 "and has grown to become one of Nigeria"s leading airlines, operating daily flights to Abuja, Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Uyo".

Its fleet consists of Boeing MD83 aircraft.


by Bev Fearis and Diane Evans

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

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