Nigeria has been removed from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One Status in the International Aviation Safety Assessment Programme (IASA).
This delisting means Nigerian airlines are currently prohibited from flying to the US until Nigeria regains its status.
The delisting occurred because no Nigerian airline had operated flights to the US for about seven years. According to recent FAA regulations, a Category One status country that does not have an airline operating to the US within two years will lose this status.
Category One Status indicates that a country meets US safety standards for flights to the US, including compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.
The FAA evaluates a country’s civil aviation authority and its adherence to ICAO safety standards to grant Category One Status. Countries with this status can operate flights to the US and engage in code-share arrangements with US airlines, provided they maintain the required safety standards.
Nigeria first achieved Category One Status in August 2010, after a thorough five-year evaluation. However, since no Nigerian airline has flown directly to the US for seven years, Nigeria has been delisted.
Captain Chris Najomo, Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), stated that the delisting is not related to safety concerns. He explained that the delisting follows a change in FAA rules that remove Category One status from countries without any indigenous operators serving the US for a two-year period. Nigeria was informed of this status change in 2022.
Najomo emphasized that the delisting does not reflect any safety or security deficiencies in Nigeria’s aviation oversight. Nigerian airlines can still fly to the US using aircraft wet-leased from countries with current Category One Status. He also noted ongoing efforts to regain and sustain Category One Status, including international campaigns and agreements with major aircraft manufacturers.
Arik Air shareholders, represented by Lanre Bamgboshe, pointed out that the airline played a significant role in Nigeria’s initial Category One certification. They criticized the impact of Arik Air’s operational challenges and its cessation of US flights in 2017, which contributed to Nigeria’s delisting.
