A late Monday statement by Nigerian aviation ministry spokesman Joe Obi revealed that the suspension imposed on Nigerian airline `Dana Air' on Saturday, March 16, has been lifted with immediate effect. The statement means that the Indian-owned commercial passenger can resume its operations after being grounded for nearly 24 hours.

According to Obi, the lifting of the suspension on Dana Air airline - which has been grounded two times in the last one year - implies that the airline can now resume its opeartions. However, Obi also said that a Dana Air plane which experienced some issues over the weekend will still continue to remain grounded.

When Dana Air was first grounded in June last year, after a serious air crash killed more than 160 people, the airline had only been flying for three months. That time round, the airline was grounded for a period of seven months.

About the decision to lift the Saturday-imposed suspension on Dana Air, Obi said that the officials from the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had held a meeting with the airline's officials over safety issues linked to the airline's operations.

Obi said that, at the end of the meeting, the officials decided to lift the suspension on Dana Air's operations; and added: "The airline is to resume normal operations immediately."