Nigeria’s privately-owned domestic carrier Max Air has identified jet fuel supplier Octavus Petroleum because the source of the contaminated fuel, which led to the grounding of its aircraft. Nevertheless, Octavus has vehemently denied the claims.
Last week Max Air’s Boeing 737 fleet was grounded by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) following a series of isolated operational incidents. One among the incidents included fuel contamination, which resulted within the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) shutting down on a Max Air B737-300. A substantial amount of water was drained from the jet’s fuel tanks, and the kind stays grounded pending investigations.
Sourcing fuel from Octavus
Octavus Petroleum Limited is a non-public petroleum products sales and distribution company based in Lagos, Nigeria. It was liable for supplying jet fuel to Max Air before the contamination issue arose.
Photo: aappp | Shutterstock
Peter Dia expressed the importance of conducting an intensive investigation to find out the source of the contaminated jet fuel. The supplier is working closely with the NCAA and various authorities to resolve the issue. The investigation will likely be under public scrutiny, because it affects the whole Nigerian aviation sector.
Letter to all airlines
Nigeria has certainly one of the busiest aviation industries in Africa, with 39 AOC holders operating scheduled and non-scheduled flights. Moreover, over 26 foreign airlines serve Nigeria, and the NCAA oversees all flight operations.
Photo: Max Air
The regulator has received quite a few reports from the country’s airlines and other operators regarding water being present in aircraft fuel tanks. The Max Air B737 incident has forced the NCAA to take motion, writing a letter to all airlines, aircraft operators, and aviation fuel suppliers.
It has identified the urgent need for carriers to enhance their refueling procedures to make sure the security of aircraft and passengers. A part of the Maintenance Control Manual/Refueling Manual requires ground staff to make sure jet fuel quality by taking samples before refueling from the aircraft tanks and fueling bowser trucks and after refueling from the tanks again.
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