FirstNation Postpones Resumption Of Operation

first nation

Over a week after FirstNation Airways disclosed plans to resume scheduled flight operations that were suspended on August 17 due to technical fault and maintenance requirements that could not be carried out as planned, scheduled flight services of the airline may now resume next week, against the September 15 date earlier fixed by the airline, according to reports.

SEE: First Nation Airways To Resume Flight Operations September 15

According to The Guardian, the shift in date was not unconnected with delays encountered in fixing one of its aircraft.

It was also reported that the Nigeria Customs Service only released the equipment needed to fix the airplanes a few days ago.

FirstNation Airway’s Director of Flight Operations, Capt. Chimara Imediegwu, had recently revealed to reporters that a team of engineers was coming to Nigeria to service the planes.

Imediegwu had debunked the claim that the airline was on the verge of folding up, stressing that it voluntarily grounded the aircraft at enormous cost to await the arrival of the manufacturer’s team.

The FirstNation management planned well ahead and kept the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority informed of the progress on the maintenance of its aircraft.

“We notified passengers and flights are currently loaded online effective from September 15.

“This will ensure that passengers continue to enjoy safe and reliable services that the airline is reputed for,’’ he said.

Imediegwu explained that the challenges of sourcing foreign exchange with the constantly changing policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Rate of Exchange (ROE) left the airline in a situation where aircraft parts could not be obtained when ordered. This is due to banks’ inability to transfer funds based on bids and maintenance schedules with external Maintenance and Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. In the process, providers suffer the repeated failures of the bidding system, leading to several delays that domestic airlines could hardly bear.

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