The Nigerian government has suspended one more passenger airline's operating certificate over safety concerns, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported on Saturday.

Newly-appointed Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode was quoted as saying that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on Friday evening suspended Sosoliso's Airline Operating Certificate (AOC) after a ramp inspection.

The suspension came just three weeks to the first anniversary of a Sosoliso air crash on Dec. 10, 2005 which killed 108 people, including more than 60 teenage students.

Managing Director of Sosoliso Oscar Ikwuemesi confirmed the suspension, saying that he had received a letter from the NCAA directing the airline to stop its operations.

An NCAA official who refused to be identified said the suspension was due to the failure of Sosoliso to meet some safety standards. "The suspension will last until the airline is able to meet the safety requirements," he added.

The official said some other airlines would also be affected as the government had adopted strict measures to ensure safety of aviation sector but refused to name them.

The NCAA suspended the operating license of the ADC Airline on Oct. 30 after the airline's Boeing 737 crashed at the Abuja international airport a day before, killing 96 persons.

Source: Xinhua