Dana Air

Dana Air

IATA ICAO Call sign 9J DAN DANACO
Founded	2008
Commenced operations	November 10, 2008 (2008-11-10)
Ceased operations	April 23, 2024 (2024-04-23) [1]
Hubs	Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Focus cities	Lagos, Abuja, Port-harcourt, Owerri, Enugu
Fleet size	5
Destinations	5 [2]
Parent company	Dana Group
Headquarters	Dana House, 116, Oshodi-Isolo Expressway, 5star bus stop, Lagos, Nigeria
Key people	Hathiramani Ranesh (MD) [3]
Employees	500
Website	flydanaair.com at the Wayback Machine(archived 20 September 2024)

Dana Air was a Nigerian airline headquartered in Ikeja, in the southwest of the country, and based in Lagos's Murtala Muhammed International Airport. ^[4]

History

Foundation and Early Operations

The Dana Airlines Limited operating as Dana Air is a fully private sector-owned carrier. The airline commenced flight operations on 10 November 2008 and since its inauguration, progressively expanded its route network. ^[5]

Growth and Milestones

By November 2018, the airline celebrated its 10-year anniversary, remarking on its achievements in employment, service, and domestic route coverage. ^[6] By its 15-year mark the carrier claimed to have carried "over 36 million passengers" since launch. ^[7] In 2019, it reported that in its first 11 years, it had flown some 5.4 million passengers. ^[8]

In July 2018, Dana Air won the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria "Best Customer-Friendly Domestic Airline" award, which the airline cited as recognition of its service and on-time performance. ^[9]

Codeshare Agreement

In May 2021, Dana Air teamed-up with Ibom Air to launch the first-ever domestic airline codeshare agreement by Nigerian airlines. ^[10]

Operational Challenges and Regulatory Action

On 20 July 2022, the airline had both its license and certificate suspended by the Nigerian authorities after it was deemed financially unfit to maintain operations. ^[11] The airline claimed that the increase in the cost of jet fuel, unavailability of foreign exchange, and inflation were contributory factors.

Dana Air announced it would resume flight operations on November 9, 2022, after having been suspended for four months. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had suspended the airline for regulatory infractions including maintenance violations and operating aircraft without licensed captains. Dana Air said the resumption follows a successful audit by the NCAA and a restructuring under new management to ensure safe and reliable flights.

Cessation of Operations

On 23 April 2024 a Dana Air aircraft (registration 5N-BKI) skidded off the runway at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to land. ^[12] Following the incident, the Minister of Aviation directed the NCAA to suspend the airline's operations immediately to conduct a full safety and financial audit. ^[13]

According to aviation profiling services, CAPA - Centre for Aviation, the airline is considered to have ceased operations as of 23 April 2024. ^[14]

Destinations

Dana Air served the following destinations: ^[2]

Nigeria

• Abuja – Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
• Enugu – Akanu Ibiam International Airport
• Lagos – Murtala Muhammed International Airport BASE
• Owerri – Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport
• Port Harcourt – Port Harcourt International Airport

Fleet

Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83. This was the aircraft involved in Dana Air Flight 0992.

Dana Air operated the following aircraft: ^[15]

Dana Air fleet

Aircraft	In fleet	Orders	Notes
Boeing 737-300	1	—
McDonnell Douglas MD-82	1	—
McDonnell Douglas MD-83	3	—
Total	5	—

Incidents and accidents

• On 3 June 2012, a Dana Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83 operating as Flight 0992 crashed into a two-story building at Iju Railway, Ishaga, a suburb of Lagos. All 153 people on the aircraft were killed. ^[16] Following the crash, all flights by Dana Air were halted by Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). ^[17]
• On 7 February 2018, a Dana Air flight landed in Abuja and was taxiing on the runway when one of the emergency exit doors fell off. ^[18] No casualties resulted from the incident. Passengers claimed that the door rattled throughout the flight. ^[19] A spokesperson for the airline, however claimed that the door could not have fallen off without a conscious effort by a passenger. ^[20] The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority instituted an investigation into the incident to determine what exactly happened. ^[20]
• On 20 February 2018, a Dana Air MD-83 with registration 5N-SRI veered off the runway at Port-Harcourt international airport during a night landing. There were no casualties, but the aircraft suffered significant damage. ^[21] Both the airline and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria stated that the cause of the accident was inclement weather as there was torrential rain at the time of the landing. ^[22]
• On 23 April 2024, Dana Air Flight 0352, a MD-82 registered 5N-BKI, skidded off the runway while landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. None of the 83 people on board was injured, but the aircraft was severely damaged. ^[23]

References

1. "Dana Air Airline Profile". CAPA – Centre for Aviation. n.d. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
2. flydanaair.com Archived 1 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 13 February 2021
3. Akinlotan, Olasunkanmi (4 November 2024). "Court orders arrest of Dana Air MD in N1.3bn fraud case". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
4. Contact us, Dana Air, archived from the original on 13 July 2011, retrieved 4 June 2012
5. Air, Dana (10 November 2008). "About Dana Air". Dana Airline Limited. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
6. Nwafor (17 November 2018). "Dana Air celebrates 10 years of operation in Nigeria". Vanguard News. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
7. "As Dana Air Marks 15 Years of Schedule Operations". thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
8. "Dana Air Flew 5.4m Passengers In 11 Years – Official". Independent Newspaper Nigeria. 16 November 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
9. Nwafor (22 July 2018). "Dana Air wins AFARN's best customer-friendly airline". Vanguard News. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
10. "Press Release: Dana, Ibom Air Codeshare Alliance: pcl.(Phillips Consulting) Applauds this Growth Initiative". Phillips Consulting. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
11. Adekola, Shola (20 July 2022). "NCAA Grounds Dana Air As Airline Suffers Financial Crisis". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
12. "NSIB Report: Faulty Nose-wheel Reason for Skidding of Dana Air Flight Off Runway". thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
13. Akintayo, Opeoluwani (24 April 2024). "Aviation Minister Orders Immediate Suspension Of Dana Air Pending Audit". Channels Television. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
14. "Dana Air Airline Profile". centreforaviation.com. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
15. "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Dana Air". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 69.
16. "Passenger plane crashes into building in Lagos". BBC News Online . 3 June 2012. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
17. "Lagos plane crash: Nigeria suspends Dana Air licence". BBC News Online . 5 June 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
18. Blake, Elly (14 February 2018). "Airplane door falls off after landing – Panic ensues". The Daily Express. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
19. Olawoyin, Oladeinde (7 February 2018). "Dana Air speaks on aircraft door that fell off". Premium Times Nigeria.
20. Oyebade, Wole (8 February 2018). "NCAA probes Dana Air plane emergency door incident". The Guardian Nigeria.
21. "Dana Aircraft Overshoots runway in Port Harcourt". Sahara Reporters. 20 February 2018.
22. Ukpong, Cletus (21 February 2018). "Dana Airline skids off runway". Premium Times Nigeria.
23. Agbana, Rotimi (23 April 2024). "UPDATED: Dana Air confirms Lagos airport runway incident, says" . Retrieved 23 April 2024.

External links

Media related to Dana Air at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 13 June 2012)