The Federal Government may move to recover and liquidate assets belonging to Dana Air to refund passengers and travel agents whose funds remain trapped following the suspension of the airline’s operations.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, revealed the plan on Tuesday in Abuja during the Ministry’s fourth-quarter stakeholders’ engagement themed “Leveraging public feedback to drive excellence in aviation services.”

Keyamo said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would be directed to investigate why the airline has not refunded customers several months after its operations were halted.

He explained that the decision to ground Dana Air was based strictly on safety concerns. According to the Minister, regulators were confronted with disturbing reports about the airline’s operations that could have endangered the lives of passengers if left unchecked.

“For Dana, the problem is that it was a choice between safety and disaster,” he said. “We didn’t take the commercial aspect as priority. The priority was safety. The damning reports we met on the table showed issues around safety records and complete disregard for standards that put Nigerian lives at risk.”

Keyamo said the NCAA acted within its mandate by suspending the airline, but he insisted on pushing the agency to act decisively once the extent of the safety breaches became clear.

“If they had continued flying, I don’t know whether most of us would be here today. Many could have been victims of one of those flights,” he added.

The Minister said he has instructed the acting Director General of the NCAA, Captain Chris Najomo, to dig deep into the outstanding refunds and ensure all affected passengers and agents are duly compensated.

He also warned that owners or affiliated entities of Dana Air would not be allowed to return to the aviation sector under any guise without first settling their existing debts.

“One solution is that if the same individuals or entities attempt to re-enter aviation, whether by registering a new Air Operator Certificate or entering through another business front, they must settle their debts first,” he said.

Keyamo further disclosed that the government is considering pursuing the airline’s assets to recover funds for compensation.

“We should look at their assets. There are assets still available. Let them sell their assets. Let’s cannibalize their revenue and pay people. NCAA should find a way to go after those assets and get money to pay Nigerians who are owed,” he said.

Keyamo emphasized that the airline would not be allowed to walk away from its obligations.

“NCAA should do that because they can’t get away with it,” he concluded.