DUE to the absence of certified maintenance facilities for aircraft
checks in the country, the airline operators may have been spending huge
amount of money to fly their aircraft outside Nigeria for maintenance.
Indeed, many carriers are lamenting over the issue.
It has been revealed that comprehensive (C) Check on B737 classic
maintenance in Europe, the United States or in Cairo, Egypt; Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, costs an airline $1m.
According to report, some aircraft maintenance engineers claimed that
lack of Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the country,
had cost the operators and the government over $170bn since the essence
of a hangar project was highlighted over two decades ago. It also
revealed that, as such maintenance is done in foreign exchange, it makes
things more difficult for the airlines in Nigeria.
Consequently, maintenance of aircraft here in the country would cost
the airlines less than half of the immense amount of ferrying aircraft
abroad for repairs in those countries with world-class aircraft
maintenance facilities.
However, it is believed that it would be cheaper if Nigeria has its
own maintenance facility. It is also believed that, if there is an MRO
in Nigeria; the country's airlines will be spending less time and money
at the facility before checks.
Aircraft maintenance checks are periodic inspections that have to be
done on all commercial/civil aircraft after a certain amount of time or
usage; while, military aircraft normally follow specific maintenance
programmes, which may or may not be similar to those of commercial/civil
operators.
Airlines and other commercial operators of large or turbine-powered
aircraft follow a continuous inspection program approved by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States or by other
airworthiness authorities. Under FAA oversight, each operator prepares a
Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) under its
operations specifications.
Airlines and airworthiness authorities casually refer to the detailed
inspections as "checks", commonly one of the following: A check, B
check, C check, or D check. A and B checks are lighter checks, while C
and D are considered heavier checks.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers
(NAAPE) has called on the incoming government to look into the major
challenges facing the aviation industry and ways to boost the
development, as well as grow the sector.
The association noted that foreign domination and the related
question of capital flight by these foreign mega carriers has given the
Nigeria small airlines very unfair competition.
They stated that, the need for foreign manpower supply in Nigeria has
created local poor manpower development policy and practice.
The group added that lack of certified local maintenance facilities, have necessitated maintenance abroad.
Speaking in a statement recently, the National President, NAAPE,
Balami Isaac David, who congratulated the President-elect, General
Muhammed Buhari, said that; "Even as we celebrate your victory, knowing
for sure that your antecedent will bring about victory for Nigerians,
especially the down trodden, over poverty and other forms of
backwardness, we hasten to ask that you brace yourself up for the rather
difficult tasks ahead".
He added; "One of the important tasks, we dear say, is the unstable
of the aviation sector. We say this not because of our involvement with
the sector, but because of the vital nature of aviation and its
relevance to national development."
Speaking further, Balami pointed that the absence of commitment to
implementing various aviation actions plans, particularly, the Aviation
Road Map has been slowing the growth of the industry.
His words; "Absence of will to harness the many
potentials/opportunities that the sector offers for business, employment
generation, breakthrough in science and technology, urban development,
global relevance/reckoning, and the like.
The President maintained that, the following elements would make for
immediate and substantial impact on the sector if the incoming
government would act on them, which include;
- Bringing into fruition the plan to re-establish a national carrier.
At the same time local carriers will be encouraged through incentives
to forge mergers cum alliances
- Encourage the quick completion of at least one aircraft maintenance
hangar in the country, such as the Uyo facility that is already at
advanced stage but now abandoned due to high costs.
- Hasten the certification process of at least the major airports.
This will go along with the development of one, or two, hubs in the
country, particular the Lagos hub
- Develop the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria into an international institution.
- Hasten the aerotropolis project.
- Grant full and real autonomy to the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) and grow it into a world-class regulatory agency. This
will enable the NCAA drive the process of growth and development in the
proper sense of the word.
His words; "we wish to humbly crave Your Excellency's indulgence to
please be favourably disposed to having an aviation professional as
Minister of Aviation. It has been our long held opinion that experience
aviation professional with the needed managerial and political clout at
the helm of affairs in the aviation ministry will move the industry
forward better and faster.
"It is, therefore, our fervent prayer that His Excellency gives due
and favourable thought to this request, especially as Nigerians who fit
this billing exist in needed numbers.
We eagerly await your takeover of the reins on May 29th, and look
forward to assisting your government record astounding success in the
aviation sector," Balami added.
