Nigeria: Tough Challenges as Dana Unfolds Return Plans

With controversy and mixed reactions trailing the announcement of the lifting of the ban on its operations after being grounded for three months following its fatal crash on June 3 in Lagos, Dana Air weekend unfolded plans to regain its market share upon resumption of operations.

Public Relation Manager of Dana Air, Tony Usidamen, told THISDAY on Friday that that the airline has laid out a strategy to get back its market share when it begins operation.

Although it is yet to come up with a specific date of resumption, the airline is considering mixing its fleet by acquiring New Generation Boeing 737 aircraft to add to its MD83 which are the only aircraft in its fleet.

“First we have to recall our staff who are on leave and we are going to carry out refresher courses for all staff. We are going to commence our operations with MD83 but just as it was in our plans before the accident to acquire Boeing 737, we are continuing with that plan,” he said.

But the airline may have to surmount some tough challenges in its return bid. While many people are suggesting that the airline should change its name since the name Dana Air is being associated with the crash and people would be afraid to patronise its services, Usidamen said such was not in the airline’s plan.

“We will not rebrand. We are not going to do anything extraordinary, but we will continue to maintain our high quality service and improve on it. We were planning on bringing in Boeing 737 aircraft,” he said.

However, relatives of the victims of the crash and others are still embittered by the green light given to the airline by the Federal Government, as some Nigerians felt that the government had done the right thing because regulatory standard of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) did not stipulate that an airline be grounded if its aircraft is involved in a crash.

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