The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA Dr. Musa Nuhu, has said the issue of contaminated Jet A1 sold to Max Air in recent months occurred from a supplier at Yola Airport.
While speaking on the outcome of the investigation, the DGCA said, contrary to the initial understanding, it was not three suppliers that were found guilty in the case of contaminated Jet A1 fuel.
He noted that the situation involved aircraft refueling at three different locations, which does not equate to three separate suppliers being at fault.
He also explained that it is essential to clarify that contamination issues were not widespread across Nigeria, these were isolated incidents.
He also noted that the contamination did not affect every airport or operator in Nigeria.
He said the NCAA and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA that oversee the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, were collaborating closely on this matter.
According to him, they have been examining the records of fuel suppliers at airports, identifying those with valid certifications, and taking action against those with expired or missing certifications to ensure compliance.
He also explained that these measures are vital to prevent incidents like the Yola Airport contamination from recurring and ensure the overall integrity of the aviation fuel supply chain in the country.
He said authorities are taking proactive steps to rectify the situation, strengthen oversight, and enforce compliance across the industry to safeguard the safety and reliability of aviation fuel in Nigeria.
The airline has since resumed flight operations.
In recent weeks, there were concerns regarding the quality of Jet A1 fuel in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, had enforced the suspension of Max Air after some of the airline’s aircraft were involved in series of incidents, one of which showed the moment water was being drained from one of the airline’s planes while on ground in Yola.
A few weeks after the suspension, the DGCA stated that the agency was investigating some oil companies in relation to the contamination of Jet A1 sold to the airline.
He was quoted to have said three aviation fuel suppliers had been identified in the course of its investigation into the circumstances that led to the contamination in the commodity supplied to Max Air.
