Nigeria suspends Dana Air's licence after crash

Lagos: Nigerian civil aviation authorities today “suspended” the licence of Dana Air, an Indian-owned commercial passenger carrier, after a flight operated by it crashed in Lagos, killing nearly 200 people. Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority spokesman Sam Adugorogboye announced the suspension, saying Dana will not be granted another licence until a fresh re-certification.[caption id=“attachment_333278” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Dana Air said an investigation was under way with US officials assisting the Nigerian government. AP”]  [/caption] A Dana Air spokesman said he was not yet aware of the government’s decision. The suspension came after the Senate today suggested that the airline be grounded till probes are carried out into the immediate and remote cause of Sunday’s fatal accident. The Senate also suggested suspension of NCAA director Harold Demureen. Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency told PTI that 150 bodies have been recovered from the site of the crash where early rainfall hampered rescue operation today. “While most of the bodies were burnt, some beyond recognition, others were intact,” spokesman for the agency Yushua Shuaib said. The ill-fated plane which crashed on Sunday was flying from Nigerian capital Abuja to Lagos and had an American pilot, who was being assisted by an Indian co-pilot. Dana Airline, the owners of the aircraft with registration number 5N-RAM, has said despite being 22-years-old the plane was still serviceable and operational. Dana Air confirmed that the Flight Voice Recorder and Black Box from the Boeing MD83 aircraft have been recovered. PTI