Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an extensive investigation into a recent incident involving water contamination in the fuel tanks of certain aircraft.
The move comes as part of the authority’s efforts to prevent future occurrences of such safety breaches and ensure the safety of air travel in the country.
Speaking at a meeting in Abuja, the Director General of NCAA Musa Nuhu, emphasized the urgency of the investigation and stated that the agency was intensifying its efforts to determine the root cause of the fuel contamination issue.
Nuhu stressed that this matter goes beyond the purview of the aviation ecosystem and requires engagement with the regulator of the downstream petroleum sector.
“The fuel contamination is outside the purview of the aviation ecosystem, which is why we have engaged the regulator of the downstream sector. We have been in consultation with NMDPRA because they certify all the oil companies in Nigeria,” he said.
Nuhu added that the collaboration between NCAA and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had become crucial due to the identified gaps resulting from the lack of deliberate collaboration between the two entities, as well as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on fuel quality monitoring.
To address this issue comprehensively, he said a committee consisting of representatives from the NCAA, FAAN, NMDPRA, National Society of Independent Petroleum Marketers (NSIB), airlines, pilots, fuel depot operators, aircraft maintenance officers, and other stakeholders, will be inaugurated soon.
The committee’s primary responsibility will be to ensure the constant monitoring and maintenance of aviation fuel quality.
