The Federal Government announced that no Boeing 737 Max aircraft is operating in  the country at the moment,

This is following the recent fatal crashes involving the aircraft.

According to the FG, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, has since issued advisory on the matter as it relates to the country.

The PUNCH  reported on Tuesday that air travellers  were worried  over the recent order made by Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest domestic carrier, for the purchase of 10 Boeing 737 Max jets.

Although Air Peace clarified that it had yet to take delivery of the aircraft, some passengers  urged the airline to review its deal with Boeing considering the fact that the aircraft in question was involved in two recent fatal accidents.

However, the   Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika,  has explained that the country  does not  have any Boeing 737 Max on its register and said there is no need for air travellers to worry.

On Sunday an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft operating flight ET302 en route Nairobi from Addis Ababa crashed six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 persons on board.

The crash was the second involving B737 Max aircraft  in the past four months,  following the  October 2018 crash that involved a Lion Air plane which crashed into the sea off Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.

Sirika  noted that Nigeria had joined the rest of the world in mourning the victims of the latest  crash.

According to him,  aviation is  one all over the world and  any accident anywhere is  viewed as a tragedy in  the global aviation industry.

Nigeria, according to Sirika, identifies and commiserates with the Ethiopian aviation authorities and those who lost loved ones, including two  Nigerians.

He said, “As we continue to mourn the ET  crash in Addis and pray for the victims, we wish to reassure Nigerians that we do not have any Boeing 737 Max on our  register to worry about. The civil aviation authority has issued. The needed advisory.”

The Corporate Communications Manager for Air Peace, Chris Iwarah,  said  on Monday  the company  had yet to take delivery of the aircraft.

He said, “This clarification has become necessary in view of  the numerous calls and enquiries into  our response to the incidents involving the B737 Max 8 aircraft.”

On September 14, 2018, The PUNCH reported that Air Peace signed a deal with the United States-based Boeing for the purchase of 10 new Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

Meanwhile, Boeing has said the United States Federal Aviation Administration has suspended mandating software enhancement on the 737 Max.

Boeing stated that for  some  months and in the aftermath of Lion Air Flight 610 crash, it had been developing a flight control software enhancement for the 737 Max, designed to make the aircraft safer.

According to a statement by the company, this includes updating   the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System flight control law, pilot displays, operation manuals and crew training.

Boeing said, “The FAA says it anticipates mandating this software enhancement with an Airworthiness Directive no later than April. We have worked with the FAA in the  development of this software enhancement.

“It is important to note that the FAA is not mandating any further action at this time, and the required actions in AD2018-23.5 continue to be appropriate.”

The Punch