The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced it has revoked the air operator's certificates (AOCs) of two helicopter service providers, Eastwind Aviation (Lagos) and OmniBlu Aviation (O7, Lagos), after they were found to be in violation of civil aviation regulations.
"The Authority has determined that both Omni-Blu Aviation and Eastwind Aviation are in violation of Part 1.2.1.5 of Nigerian civil aviation regulation (CARs) on falsification, reproduction, or alteration of applications, licences, certificates, logbooks, reports, or records. Part 1.2.1.5(b) of Nigerian CARs provide the sanction for such fraud as revocation of the certificate. Consequently, their respective air operator's certificates OBA/AOC/12-15/002 and EAL/AOC/03-24/001 are hereby revoked," the regulator said in a statement.
The NCAA said the move was in line with its efforts to "further sanitise the aviation industry". The regulator is finalising organisational risk profiles for each scheduled operator in Nigeria.
On January 31, the NCAA grounded MaxAir (Nigeria) (VM, Katsina) for three months to allow for a safety audit of the airline after its sole B737-400 experienced a nose-wheel landing gear collapse and rear tyre burst during a landing at Kano on January 28.
Founded in 2021, Eastwind Aviation Logistics Services Limited provides helicopter services to the Nigerian oil and gas and government sectors with a fleet of S-76s and AW139s. In October 2024, one of its S-76s suffered a fatal crash en-route on an offshore flight from the Port Harcourt military base.
Omni-Blu Aviation operates S-76Cs for the oil and gas offshore sectors on contracts and spot charters. The helicopters are also equipped for air ambulance services. In addition, it operates six Bell Helicopter 412 EPs in support of Global Helicopter Service GmbH for humanitarian flight services in Nigeria's Borno State. The rest of the fleet comprises a Hawker 850XP, a Challenger 600, and a Beech (twin turboprop) King Air B200.
ch-aviation reached out to both companies for comment. A spokesman for Eastwind Aviation Logistics Services Limited said: "While this development is deeply disappointing, we want to assure our valued customers, partners, and stakeholders that safety, compliance, and operational excellence remain our top priorities".
"We are actively engaging with the NCAA to address all concerns and work toward a swift and responsible resolution. Throughout our years of operation, we have maintained a strong track record of safety and professionalism, and we remain committed to meeting and exceeding the highest aviation standards."
According to the company, there were no ongoing safety risks related to its fleet, personnel, or operational procedures. "This regulatory matter is being addressed with full transparency and cooperation, and we are taking every necessary step to regain compliance and resume operations as soon as possible."
