Max Air prioritises safety, decries pull-down attempts by ‘fifth columnists’

Max Air, one of Nigeria’s domestic airlines, has reiterated its commitment to safe operation which has been its number one priority since inception.

The airline re-avowed its stance on safety following allegations of impropriety and double-dealing which purportedly led to its compromise of safety standards and eventual grounding by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

“What we sell is safety and we pride ourselves by our sincerity and commitment to safe and secure operation which we have guarded jealously from the beginning of our operation,” an Executive Director of the airline, Barr. Shehu Wada said in a chat with an aviation correspondent.

He stated that the airline would remain focused on delivering safe and efficient flight services to Nigerians despite attempts by some individuals and those he called fifth columnists to drag the airline back.

In addition, he said the airline has absolute confidence and belief in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the recent audit of the airline, saying the regulatory authority had done a very thorough job.

“We will not allow anybody to drag us back. Our audit is open. We may not be perfect but safety is what we sell.

“We have been in operation over the last one decade without a single accident and that is because we continue to prioritise safety in what we do. We don’t joke with the safety of our passengers and crew,” he added.

He recalled the recent incident involving one of the aircraft of the airline where a huge volume of water was found in the tank, saying it was an isolated case which the airline quickly noticed and decided to ground itself before the NCAA waded in.

According to him, after the NCAA certified the airline to resume operation, it was further grounded to enable it close other gaps identified in the operation.

He said the NCAA as a responsive and responsible regulatory authority has remained thorough in its regulation of airlines in order to sustain the safety rating of the airline’s industry in Nigeria internationally.

“The NCAA has certified us and the NCAA would not want anything that would drag it in the mud in the discharge of its operation.

“When we noticed something was wrong, we were the first to announce we were suspending our operation before the NCAA waded in and the NCAA came and it was through with their findings.

When the NCAA noticed something was wrong again, they still grounded us until they verified everything,” he said.

Wada stated that the founder of the airline, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, a renowned and astute businessman, would not be discouraged in his patriotism and commitment to contributing to the development of Nigeria through his investments in various sectors of Nigeria which have earned him recognition beyond the shores of the country.