The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) temporarily grounded Overland Airways' fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop aircraft on Monday, 3 October 2022, ordering an urgent inspection after a routine audit raised concerns over gaps in the airline's maintenance documentation.
The regulator said the grounding was precautionary rather than punitive, and that no specific airworthiness fault had been found in any individual aircraft, but that the documentation gaps needed to be resolved before flights could resume.
Airline Responds
Overland Airways said it was working closely with the NCAA to close out the audit findings and expected the inspection to be completed within days, adding that passenger safety would not be compromised in the process of returning aircraft to service.
The grounding affected several of Overland's regional routes linking Lagos with smaller destinations across the south and north of the country, prompting the airline to arrange alternative travel for some passengers while the fleet remained parked.
