Max Air, a domestic airline in Nigeria, has suspended its operations once again, just two weeks after resuming flights. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) imposed this new suspension due to the airline's failure to address certain issues identified in a recent audit.

Earlier in June, the NCAA had suspended specific parts related to the operation of Max Air's Boeing 737 aircraft due to safety concerns arising from incidents involving Boeing B737 classic aircraft.

After completing the audit and resolving certain issues, Max Air had announced its return to service on July 30, 2023. However, around two weeks later, the NCAA imposed a fresh suspension, causing inconvenience to numerous passengers across the country.

Although there was no official confirmation from the NCAA at the time of reporting, sources suggested that the new suspension was a result of the airline not fully complying with the audit's observations.

The NCAA's letter announcing the new suspension, dated August 11, 2023, mentioned, "The Authority hereby suspends the privileges of the A3 and D43 Parts of the Operations Specifications for B737 aircraft type with immediate effect until all the twenty (20) level 1 findings have been satisfactorily closed. Whilst the eight (8) level 2 findings will be closed within a period of 90 days."

An anonymous airline official acknowledged the situation, stating that the management was working to address the issue and resolve it as swiftly as possible. However, the duration of the suspension remained uncertain.

This recent suspension of Max Air's operations followed Azman Air's announcement of suspension due to a lack of operational aircraft, further affecting passengers on Northern routes.

The impact of Max Air's suspension is significant, particularly for Northern routes. Many regions in the North rely on Max Air's services, and the exit of the airline could lead to increased airfares on the remaining operating airlines in the area.