Issues in the nation’s aviation sector, were again, brought to the fore during the week, when stakeholders comprising pilots, engineers, CEOs and others, converged at a forum to map out ways of solving them.
The forum, organised by National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), head that the sector is beleaguered with sundry problems, ranging from inability of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to certify airports; lack of security fences at Airports; shortages of Air traffic controllers to handle facilities; unemployment of Nigeria pilots on wide bodied aircraft to inability of NCAA to apply full sanctions on parastatal for failure to adhere to NCAR because they all serve under the Minister of Aviation.
Other problems identified are inability of NCAA to ground aircraft licensed for private use which were turned to commercial purposes including ferrying currencies in dollars to foreign countries; unmanned Airstrips used for smuggling across the borders; insecurity of Airports/Aircraft in the North –East and South-South axis of Nigeria due to terrorist acts and inadequate Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel to man all Airports on 24 hours basis, among others.
Setting the tone for the forum, Adebayo Araba, former rector of Nigerian Aviation College of Technology, opined that the global economy continues to readjust to a few economic order, adding that the new order include investment in infrastructure, fleet growth, logistic management and aviation.
He added that Nigeria must key into this in order to stand and remain competitive within global economy.
Sam Akerele, who spoke on ‘Issues in Nigerian flight safety environment, said after 55 years of independence, ‘the aviation sector has not been able to exhaust 5N and proceed to 50 – due to mismanagement of resources, policy somersault and corruption.
“In my younger days, Nigerian Pound was equaled to British Pound but today it is N300 or more, also nine years after we have passed the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO) Audits and attained US-category one status , the growth of the industry is minimal in terms of economically viable domestic flag carriers operations and national or flag carriers on international routes;
“Modern 21st Century Airports, aviation training organisations with 21st century requirements and technology and government policies that enhance developments and protect local investors”.
Also speaking, Adeyemi Dare, a pilot, who spoke on ‘Liberalism or Protectionism of the aviation’, lamented that over 47 airlines had been licensed to operate after the liquidation of Nigeria airways, 31 of them are comatose while only about six are operational currently.
According to him, undue interference by airline owners; improper allocation of resources; uncertainty in regulations and lack of proper market survey, had contributed to the problems of the airline sub-sector.
He disclosed that the country may be losing about N100 billion to foreign airlines because of policy summersault adding further that further the sector needed experienced professionals in the Ministry of Aviation.
Sade Williams
