U.S. Shuts Direct Flight From Nigeria

Nigeria has lost its United States Category One status because its airlines have not operated direct flights to the U.S. for two consecutive years. According to the new U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation, any country whose airlines fail to operate direct flights to or from the U.S. for two years will lose its Category One status.
As a result, Nigerian airlines, including those planning to launch direct flights from Lagos, are now barred from flying directly to any U.S. city or airport until Nigeria undergoes a re-audit and recertification by the FAA to restore its previous status.
Nigeria first achieved the USFAA Category One status in August 2010 after a rigorous five-year process. However, a decline in aviation standards and the failure of some Nigerian airlines to operate direct flights to the U.S. for seven years led to the loss of this rating, according to some stakeholders.
"The chances for Nigerian airlines to operate direct flights to the United States may now be slim," said Olumide Ohunayo, an industry analyst and director of research at Zenith Travels, in an interview with BusinessDay. "It may not be as promising as it was about three years ago, but it is not entirely hopeless. This situation is not a downgrade; that would only happen after an audit. What we need now is to call the FAA back for a re-audit."
Ohunayo added that Nigeria had not previously needed to request an FAA audit because its local carriers were not operating or planning to operate flights to the U.S
#news #nigeria #breakingnews #politics #usanews