The Federal Government has concluded plans to introduce drastic measures that will mitigate the rising incidents of aircraft veering or skidding off the runway at airports across the country.
Part of the measures, a source familiar with the development told The Nation, would include audit of runway and air field operational facilities and steps being taken by the agencies managing them to fix complaints by aircraft pilots.
Significantly, the source said the Federal Government is pushing for the urgent implementation of safety recommendations in accident reports rolled out by the apex air transport probe agency: Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
In particular, the government is keen at fixing issues of safety, pointed out in the NSIB reports, as it affects what the industry regulator, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), must as a necessity implement, and parlous infrastructure, including obsolete airside facilities that Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has failed to fix in the last few years.
The government, it was learnt, is worried that the rising incidents of aircraft skidding off the runway has involved mainly indigenous carriers.
Such concerns, the source said, might trigger inquiry into the conditions under which pilots employed by airlines work, to address the influx of expatriate crew who are not familiar with the state of landing facilities, where is obvious deterioration.
To push for the new measures intended to reduce incidents of aircraft skidding off the runway, the source said the regulatory agency would be impressing it on airlines to review their safety management systems to mitigate the wrong perception recurring incidents arewrecking on the psyche of air travellers and other watchers of the industry.
The source affirmed that the NCAA and NSIB would be paying closer attention to how affected airlines activate the relevant emergency safety procedures.
Besides, the source said the Federal Government is also looking at the maintenance status/profile of aircraft in the fleet of indigenous carriers, which have been involved in three incidents of skidding off the runway of the Lagos Airport in the last five months.
The spike in the serious aircraft incidents is create unease at the right quarters posing serious safety concerns at local and international fora.
The source hinted that the Federal Government is worried over the state of Runway 18Left at the Lagos Airports with mounting complaints of flooding occasioned by heavy precipitation.
The source said the FAAN is not rising to the occasion in fixing sore points raised by airline operators and their pilots on runway and other airside facilities.
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In the last few years, FAAN has closed runways at Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Owerri airports to flight traffic because aircraft experienced serious incidents in the facility.
Weekend’s incident involving a premium service carrier, Xejet Airlines, whose Embraer 145 passengers skidded off the Runway 18 Left of the Lagos Airport and the serious incident of Dana Air about three weeks ago at same Runway 18Left, may have triggered the closer inquiry into the matter.
Last November, two aircraft from two airlines skidded off the runway in one week.
The incident involved an Aero Contractors, Flight NG 119 with a registered Boeing 737 aircraft 5N-BYQ from Lagos to Abuja with 133 passengers on board.
All passengers were safely evacuated through a controlled disembarkation.
In the same week, an aircraft operated by ValueJet Airline slipped on a taxi turn after landing and cleared off the runway at Port Harcourt airport at 3.30 local time. No damage was done to the aircraft.
United Airlines also recorded an incident in September 2023 where its aircraft also skidded off the runway. Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, the head of corporate communications, said the flight had successfully operated and landed at its destination, having arrived from the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri.
However, upon touching down in the downpour, the plane’s tyres lost grip on the wet surface, making it skid off the runway.
Speaking in an interview, an industry player, who pleaded not to mentioned in print said :” The Federal Government is getting worried over the optics generated in the aviation industry , where issues of safety and aircraft skidding off the runway is becoming unnerving.
“ There will be urgent action by the government to redress this ugly situation , the relevant aeronautical authorities will need to overhaul the system, as it affects aircraft crew, the airplanes, their airworthiness status, their maintenance records, the state of runway facilities, wet surfaces and many other considerations.
“Why are these incidents on the rise, what is the level of cooperation between the crew and those providing weather information and air traffic services.
If pilot will make approach , how reliable are the facilities , he is relying upon.
“ If the entire system is not overhauled, in terms of operational facilities, crew proficiency , equipment reliability and command, these incidents of aircraft skidding off airfield facilities could be a precursor of not very nice things to come.”
Industry experts including , Managing Director of Centurion Securities Limited, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) and Engineer Sheri Kyari, and aircraft engineer have over the years canvassed Facility Maintenance Programme by the affected agencies, especially FAAN in intervening in decaying / obsolete airside Infrastructure.
Umbrella body of indigenous carriers: Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), has also over the years voiced against deplorable airside Infrastructure, including runways, taxi -ways and other facilities needed for safety take -off and landing of aircraft.
