Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Nigeria long overdue for aircraft maintenance facility — Expert

An aviation industry analyst and Managing Director, Belujane Konzult, Mr. Chris Aligbe, on Monday said the establishment of an aircraft maintenance facility was long overdue in the country because domestic airlines were spending huge sums annually to maintain their aircraft.

Aligbe, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, said the establishment of an aircraft maintenance hangar in the country would also be of benefit to military aviation.

The maintenance hangar, he said, could be set up by private investors in partnership with the Federal Government.

He, however, said that there was a need for the domestic airlines to “standardise the type of aircraft they use because a single Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul facility (hangar) cannot cater for many brands of aircraft as is the case with many of the local carriers currently.”

On the fatal crash of a Naval Augusta helicopter in Bayelsa on Saturday, Aligbe said it was wrong to blame civil aviation authorities for the unfortunate incident, explaining that “there is a whole world of difference between civil and military aviation.

The Belujane boss, who said the nation’s airspace had become relatively safe, explained that military aviation was self regulatory, while civil aviation was being regulated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

“It is outside the purview of the NCAA to determine the nature of military aircraft operations,” he said.

Aligbe, however, called on the military authorities to step up their oversight duties on the aircraft in their fleet.

He said because military aircraft did not fall within the purview of NCAA, even the Accident Investigative Bureau was not empowered by law to investigate military air accidents.

He said, “There is institutional difference in oversight of both military and civil aviation operations. All the aviation agencies have no iota of responsibility over military operations. Even the AIB cannot investigate military air accidents.

“They do not come under the inventory of the NCAA. The military establishments are self regulating; they train their staff to the highest level. The military has full compliments over the regulation of its aircraft.”

Aligbe urged the military to build internal capacity for its aircraft, even as he said the culture of self regulation by the military required tremendous institutional will power.


Source:   http://www.punchng.com

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