A company run by children of Nigerian socialite, Bola Shagaya, Octavus, has denied supplying contaminated fuel to Max Air.
This followed news on Tuesday that Octavus reportedly supplied contaminated Jet A1 to Max Air, which eventually led to the grounding of its 5N-MHM aircraft and sanctions by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
This was contained in a letter in which the NCAA directed the suspension of Parts A3 and D43 with regards to the operation of Max Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft type with immediate effect.
The letter read, “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority hereby suspends Parts A3 (Aircraft Authorization) and D43 (Aircraft Listing) of the Operations Specifications issued to Max Air Ltd. with regards to the operations of the Boeing B737 aircraft type in your fleet.
“With the above suspension, you are to immediately suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft in your fleet.”
However, a statement issued by Octavus General Manager, Peter Dia, denied supplying contaminated fuel to Max Air. It said there was no evidence linking the fuel supplied by the company to the reported occurrences.
The statement said, “Our attention has been drawn to recent allegations made against Octavus regarding the supply of contaminated aviation fuel to Max Air.
“As a leading aviation fuel supplier, we would like to categorically deny these unfounded and ill-intentioned allegations made against the company. We firmly stand by the integrity and quality of our products and refute any attempts to tarnish our reputation.
“Octavus maintains strict adherence to international standards and industry best practices in fuel supply and distribution. As a major supplier to both Nigerian and international carriers, we take pride in sourcing our products exclusively from trusted partners like NNPC and British Petroleum..
“Our company takes utmost care to ensure the safe and timely delivery of high-quality aviation fuels to our esteemed clients.”
It added, “Regarding the unfortunate incidents involving Max Air’s aircraft, we wish to clarify that there is no evidence linking the fuel supplied by Octavus to the reported occurrences. We have previously successfully fueled about 90 per cent of Max Air Hajj flights, and those aircraft are still flying without any issues.
“It is essential to highlight that we handle about 100 flights per day, approximately one flight every 10 minutes, with no reported complaints about the quality of our products.
“We were nominated five times by Airlines Operators of Nigeria to handle the NNPC Intervention cargoes at the height of the fuel crisis last year which is an attestation of the trust they have in our brand.”
