The regulatory Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Saturday suspended all operations of Associated Aviation Ltd., two days after one of its planes was involved in a crash that killed 13 of the 20 passengers on board.
NCAA Director-General Fola Akinkuotu announced the suspension while speaking with journalists after visiting the hospital where the seven survivors of the crash are being treated.
“Associated Airlines, their operations have been suspended by the NCAA. Let me say for the purpose of clarity, I said their operations, I mean all the operations of Associated Airlines have been suspend by the NCAA. I did not say any certification was cancelled but all operations,” Capt Akinkuotu said.
He said the aircraft was certified airworthy before its last flight last Thursday.
The Associated Airlines Embraer 120 plane with 20 passengers on board crashed shortly after takeoff from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the commercial city of Lagos.
The 30-seater plane was chartered to convey the remains of a former state governor to his home state for burial
