The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Ex-Airways workers’ N700m benefits trapped in eight banks

    ABOUT N700million of the severance benefits of former workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) is trapped in eight banks, The Nation has learnt.

    The trapped cash may stall the final payment of the ex-workers’ benefits, which is slated for the first quarter of this year.

    The cash got trapped in the banks after it was mistakenly credited into the accounts of those who had earlier been paid.

    The banks, a source said, are refusing to pay out the cash to those yet to receive their benefits.

    Their refusal is delaying the government’s disbursement of the N22.5billion for the final payment of the outstanding benefits. The banks erroneously paid the money into the accounts of the former workers who had benefited from the first part-payment. ‘’The banks withheld the money but the government is insisting on its payment before it will release the balance,’’. the source said.

    Read also: Teenager accused of intent to steal toy gun

    The Office of Accountant-General of the Federation (OGF) is said to be piqued over the banks’mistakes.

    Investigations showed that the payment was an error. It was part of the hitches identified after a  verification of the former workers.

    All efforts by the Accountant-General and the National Union of Pensioners’ (NUP) representatives to get the banks refund the money are not yielding results, the source added.

    While the OGF was said to be unhappy with the banks, the union representatives have given the banks one week ultimatum to return the money.

    The union has warned the banks to return the money by Friday or face  their wrath.

  • NAMA to carry out radar check

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is set to recondition the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) to enable it meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standard.

    Reconditioning is the overhaul of the airspace radar equipment to keep pace with global best practices.

    In an interview at the weekend, NAMA Managing Director Captain Fola Akinkuotu said the exercise would involve a turnaround maintenance,  which is to be carried out by the equipment manufacturer- Thales Group of France.

    The agency has taken delivery of another consignment of critical spare parts required for the  exercise.

    The consignment, cleared at the Apapa port in Lagos, came from Thales Group. It includes MES1 1400A power supply modules, control units and other critical units.

    The spare parts, Akinkuotu said, would be  used by NAMA engineers on any of the nine TRACON installations across the country to ensure their optimal functioning.

    Akinkuotu said: “The relationship between NAMA and the equipment manufacturerThales has never been frosty as some  reports would have it. In fact,  it has been very cordial and we are poised to continue to keep it that way. You will recall that we cleared some consignments of spare parts for TRACON last year from the same Thales.”

    He disclosed that another consignment  was being cleared at the Apapa port, adding that other consignments were expected from Thales as payments had been made.

     

     

  • No bomb on Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight – FAAN

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ) has described as false the alarm that a bomb was planted on an early morning Air Peace flight from Abuja to Lagos on Wednesday.

    Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, made the rebuttal in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Yakubu siad that the passenger, who allegedly raised the alarm, was said to have a history of mental illness.

    She said that the passenger had been handed over to the security agencies and medical experts for assessment.

    She said: “Following the false information, officers of FAAN’s aviation security swiftly evacuated passengers, crew and cargo on board the flight and a bomb squad immediately conducted a thorough check on the aircraft and baggage, which confirmed the information to be false.

    Read Also: Attempt to steal aircraft: Court summons NCAA, FAAN bosses

    “After due diligence test has been carried out on the aircraft, a fresh boarding call has been made and passengers have boarded the flight for take-off to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    “FAAN will like to re-assure passengers and all airport users that our airports are safe and secure.

    “They should carry on their lawful activities without any fear,” she said.

    News Agency of Nigeria reports that there was panic in the aircraft on Wednesday morning, after a passenger raised an alarm that a bomb was planted in the aircraft.

  • Ethiopian Airlines moves operations to Abuja new terminal

    Ethiopian Airlines, the largest African airline, on Thursday, moved its operations to the newly inaugurated terminal building at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, constructed by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC).

    Ethiopian Airlines is the second international airline to move its operations to the new terminal, inaugurated on Dec. 20, 2018, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Asky Airlines was the first to start flight operations from the terminal on Jan. 6.

    Mr Sani Mahmud, the Regional Manager, North Central, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said that the terminal had been equipped to handle all the international carriers.

    Mahmud, who is also the Airport Manager of NAIA, said that the terminal had been equipped with fibre backbone to provide free internet services to passengers and airport users.

    He expressed optimism that other airlines such as Emirates, Lufthansa, Egypt Air and British Airways would
    likely move their operations into the terminal in the not too distant future.

    The regional manager said that the issue of connectivity had been the reason given by some airlines for the
    delay in moving their operations to the terminal.

    He, however, added that “we feel great that the terminal has come alive after it was commissioned last year
    and one of the biggest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines has moved its operations into the terminal.

    “We are grateful for their cooperation and we hope that very soon, others will join.

    “When we have these two giants here, others will be eager to come.

    “Hopefully, all the airlines will come in within a week because the connections have been done. The duty free shops are in progress because the management wants a uniform-style that will be of international standard and we are ready to provide world class services here.”

    Read Also; Abuja new airport terminal to process 15m passengers annually

    Meanwhile, the Traffic and Sales Manager of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr Tilahun Tedesse, said that the airline was determined to continue to champion air transport services in Nigeria.

    Tedesse said that the airline hoped to expand its operations, considering the space and facilities in the new terminal,
    adding that it currently operated about 100 routes from Abuja.

    He added that “we just started today in this new terminal and we will continue to be an example to other airlines.

    “If you remember the last time this airport was closed we moved to Kaduna to serve Nigerian people and Nigerian passengers and this time also, we have been asked to start using this facility and we have started today.

    “Asky is our partner and we asked them to start first, but we are the first to commence international long haul from here to connect our passengers to Asia, Europe and America.

    “We didn’t have a good space at the old terminal but here, we have enough space, many check-in counters and the air conditioner is perfect.

    “We usually deploy our big capacity aircraft to this airport when we were using the small space, but now, I believe we will be able to deploy aircraft like the Airbus and B777 series.”

    A passenger, Dr Ayodeji Samuels, a medical practitioner, commended the government for the new terminal, saying it was befitting for the seat of power like Abuja.

    Samuels urged the authority to provide adequate signage and self-service facility within the terminal to enable passengers to have seamless experience.

    “This is more befitting for the Federal Capital Territory than what we used to have and we hope that operations will go on smoothly and most importantly, this improvement should be maintained.

    “It would be good to have appropriate signage to direct passengers where exactly they should go and there should also be self-service kiosks where passengers can check themselves in before approaching the counter for boarding pass.”

  • NAMA inuagurates landing equipment

    THE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)  has inaugurated the Category II Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Benin Airport in the Edo State capital.

    Speaking at a meeting with workers at the agency’s headquarters annex in Ikeja,  Lagos, NAMA’s Managing Director Capt. Fola Akinkuotu said this was in fulfilment of a   pledge by the agency to upgrade navigational infrastructure in strategic airports across the country to boost socio-economic activities in such areas.

    Akinkuotu announced that the agency has equally inaugurated the ILS at Port Harcourt Airport, damaged by an aircraft last year. He said that the flight inauguration, handled by Omni-Blue Aviation Limited indicated that the new landing equipment were operating at optimal capacity.

    He hinted that installation of CAT II ILS would start soon at Maiduguri, Jos and Minna airports.

    Capt. Akinkuotu informed the workers that in line with management’s objective to maintain a healthy and productive workforce, the agency had concluded plans to enroll NAMA into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the next two months.

    He assured them that the contentious issue of review of Condition of Service (COS) was being treated and would soon be concluded by the government.

    The NAMA boss expressed gratitude to management and workkers of the agency for their  support and cooperation in tha past two years.

  • Furore over aircraft repossession

    Attempt by an aircraft lessor, SeaGold Investment Limited, to repossess its two Bombardier propeller planes leased to a Nigerian carrier, Top brass Aviation, has sparked a huge row at the Lagos Airport, pitting airlines, the airport authority and regulators against one another, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

    Aircraft leasing  is guided by international set of rules and regulations  that must be complied with  by parties in the transaction.

    Besides rules and regulations prescribed by the global civil aviation regulator, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), there are regional treaties intended to standardise transactions, involving movable property, including aircraft, its engines and spares. One of such is the Cape Town Convention on international interests in mobile equipment.

    The treaty creates international standards for registration, sales contracts (including dedicated registration agencies), security interests (liens), leases and conditional sales contracts, as well as various legal remedies for default in financing agreements, including repossession of aircraft. The treaty came into force on  April 1,  2004 and has been ratified by 57 parties.

    Despite being a signatory to the protocols of the Cape Town Convention, Nigerian aviation authorities- Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)- and a domestic carrier are violating the terms of the protocol.

    In the last few years, a Nigerian operator, Topbrass Aviation, has been embroiled in controversy over contractual disagreement between it and an aircraft lessor, SeaGold Investment Limited.

    TopBrass Aviation, according to its President, Captain Roland Iyayi, leased two Bombardier Propeller aircraft from the firm for a  finance purchase  agreement, covering 30 months to which it committed over $12 million.

    The airplanes (registration numbers 5N-TBB and 5N-TBC) have been reacquired by some other groups, notwithstanding that there is a subsisting orders of the Lagos Federal High Court on the airplanes given that it is under litigation.

    Presently, the aircrafts are stationed at the Aero Contractors’ Maintenance and Overhaul (AMO) hangar, but without its registration numbers, said to have been wiped off.

    The Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, last year, served a Contempt of Court order on the NCAA, FAAN, NCAA Director-General,  Capt. Muktar Usman, Aero Contractors and its Managing Director Capt. Ado Sanusi, and a pilot in the presidential fleet, Capt. Baba Mohammed, allegedly for having defied the court orders in respect to tampering with the airplanes.

    Last year,  Topbrass Aviation raised the alarm that the NCAA and some individuals attempted to smuggle out two aircraft parked at the tarmac of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airpoirt, Ikeja, Lagos.

    The airline accused the NCAA of working in concert with FAAN to ferry the two airplanes out of Nigeria.

    Iyayi said the NCAA, FAAN, and Aerocontractors had been colluding with the firm to take possession of the two aircraft, even after Topbrass had concluded an agreement with SEA Gold Investment Limited. Iyayi alleged that NCAA, had since 2015 de-registered the aircraft from its data base.

    Sensing surreptitious moves to ferry the aircraft out of the country, Iyayi said Topbrass went to court to secure an order restraining the concerned parties from tampering with the two aircraft.

    He regretted that despite the court order asking the parties not to tamper with the aircraft , NCAA and FAAN, and others are still perfecting plans to ferry the aircraft out of town.

    Investigations revealed that FAAN, despite orders of the court restraining it from tampering with the aircraft, has communicated its security personnel to release the aircraft to SEA Gold Investment Limited.

    In a letter with reference number FAAN /1600/OOT331, the authority said : “We write in respect of two aircraft (Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 series) parked at the General Aviation Terminal of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.

    “You are hereby directed to grant Messrs SEA Gold Investment Limited access to the aircraft and release same to the company accordingly.

    “The above is for your information and further necessary action. Please ensure strict compliance and treat as very urgent.”

    Copies of the letter by FAAN were forwarded to Director-General of NCAA; Director,  Security Services, FAAN ; Director, Airport operations, FAAN and Terminal Manager, (GAT, FAAN).

    It was learnt that the two 50-seater airplanes, manufactured in 2004, came into the operations of Seagold in 2005. The company ran the offshore operations of Chevron in Angola, while Topbrass operated for Chevron in Nigeria. In 2011, both companies, orchestrated by Chevron, signed a finance purchase agreement for the two aircraft, for which Topbrass paid $12 million in a 30-month lease tenure, towards fully acquiring the jets.

    Iyayi said his company kept to the terms of agreement but the lessor later failed at execution. Because of this and coupled with Chevron’s alleged desire to repossess the assets for transfer to Aero Contractors on a five-year lease, Topbrass parked both airplanes, declared a dispute with Chevron Nigeria, and approached the court for redress in 2015.

    Iyayi said both parties later pursued an out of court settlement in 2017 and renegotiated the terms of agreement. But at the point of concluding the pact, “some interested parties, led by Capt. Baba Mohammed, intervened, telling Seagold not to settle with Topbrass and still assuring that they could recover the airplanes despite our $12 million contribution’’.

    “We were forced to return to court for an exparte  order, which was given by the court, restraining all parties, including Topbrass, from tampering with the aircraft until the determination of the substantive matter. The copies were made available to parties like NCAA, FAAN, NAMA and so on.’’

    Last week matter came to a head when a judge of Federal High Court, Justice Muslim Hassan summoned the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Captain Mukthar Usam and the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Saleh Dunoma for their failure to appear in court over contempt charge for tampering with two Bombardier aircraft belonging to Topbrass Aviation.

    They are to appear in court at the next adjourned date fixed for February 28, 2019 to explain why they gave orders for tampering of the two Bombardier aircraft in contention between Topbrass Aviation and SeaGold Investment Limited, the lessor of the aircraft.

    The summons was a fall out at the hearing of contempt proceedings On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, by  Justice M. S Hassan.

    Iyayi, who disclosed this said, the summons became imperative because of the role played by NCAA and FAAN bosses in the disputed ownership of two Bombardier jets at Lagos airport.

    He said despite a subsisting Court Order, NCAA and FAAN colluded with agents of the lessor to move the aircraft in question to a repair facility belonging to AeroContractors, where the aircraft are being tampered with.

    He said despite the court order, agents of the lessor are colluding with AeroContractors to  allegedly  flout the court order.

    The aircraft, two Dash-8 Q-300s with registration 5N-MSN 61TBB with 3 and 5N-TBC with MS 614 , according to Iyayi are still being tampered with at the Aero Contractors hangar despite a restraining order in 2015 which provided basis for the contempt charges.

    However, Iyayi who spoke to The Nation at the weekend alleged that the two aircraft are still being tampered with at the Aero Hangar.

    He revealed that the brake pad, propeller assembly of the aircraft has been changed.

    Iyayi said: ”As at today pictures are being sent to us on what is going on at Aero and we are taking that again as further affidavits to court, to tell the court that despite the fact that we had a sitting two days ago, which would have been a contempt proceeding sitting, they are still tampering with the aircraft at Aero Hangar which is in violation of the order. We are going back to court with all the evidence because it is not good enough to speak, the idea is to show evidence. And indeed anything we filed in court we have shown photographic evidence.

    “We actually approached the courts when all these were happening to ask for an exparte order that the aircraft be taken away from Aero hangar, possession of aircraft taken by the police, the IGP, AIG Airport and Commissioner of Police Airport, to take physical possession of the aircraft, secure it at a location at the airfield and report to the court about the security and safety of the aircraft pending the determination of the case.’’

    An official of AeroContractors who spoke to The Nation on conditions of anonymity denied tampering with the aircraft. He confirmed that though the disputed aircraft is in its facility, but said allegations of tampering were misleading. He said the aircraft will be handed over to whoever the court declares as legitimate owner.

    Officials of FAAN and NCAA declined to comment on the matter, claiming it was in court.

  • Court summons NCAA, FAAN bosses over attempt to steal aircraft

    A judge of Federal High Court, Justice Muslim Hassan has summoned the Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Captain Mukthar Usam and the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma for their failure to appear in court over contempt charge for tampering with two Bombardier aircraft belonging to Topbrass Aviation.

    They are to appear in court at the next adjourned date fixed for February 28, 2019 to explain why they gave orders for tampering of the two Bombardier aircraft in contention between Topbrass Aviation and SeaGold Investment Limited, the lessor of the aircraft.

    The summons was a fall out at the hearing of contempt proceedings On Tuesday, January 15, 2019, by Justice M. S Hassan.

    President, Topbrass Aviation, Captain Roland Iyayi, who disclosed this said the summons became imperative because of the role played by NCAA and FAAN bosses in the disputed ownership of two Bombardier jets at Lagos airport.

    Iyayi said despite a subsisting Court Order, NCAA and FAAN colluded with agents of the lessor to move the aircraft in question to a repair facility belonging to AeroContractors, where the aircraft are being tampered with.

    He said despite the court order, agents of the lessor are colluding with AeroContractors to allegedly flout the court order.

    The aircraft, two Dash-8 Q-300s with registration 5N-MSN 61TBB with 3 and 5N-TBC with MSN 614 , according to managing director of Top Brass Aviation, Roland Iyayi are still being tampered with at the Aero Contractors hangar despite a restraining order in 2015 which provided basis for the contempt charges.

    However, a credible and highly-placed source in Aero contractors sources said  Aero Contractors as a company has no interest in the aircraft and are only ensuring that after the entire proceeding, both aircraft are still recoverable for whomever the court ruling goes to.

    However, Iyayi who spoke to The Nation alleged that barely two days after lawyers of both the NCAA and FAAN, promised to provide their principals in court on February 28 for the hearing, that the two aircraft are still being tampered with at the Aero Hangar.

    According to Iyayi, the brake pad of the aircraft has been changed.

    He said the propeller assembly of the aircraft has been removed and is awaiting replacement for ferry out of the country.

    Iyayi expressed fears that at the rate that the impunity was being perpetuated, before the next date of the contempt hearing, the aircraft might have been worked on and ferried out since the NCAA DG, Captain Mukhar Usman and other parties served are still going about as if there was no court order.

    Read also: Freezing CJN’s accounts contemptuous, say Agbakoba, Falana, Ozekhome

    Iyayi said, ”As at today pictures are being sent to us on what is going on at Aero and we are taking that again as further affidavits to court, to tell the court that despite the fact that we had a sitting two days ago, which would have been a contempt proceeding sitting, they are still tampering with the aircraft at Aero Hangar which is in violation of the order. we are going back to court with all the evidence because it is not good enough to speak, the idea is to show evidence. And indeed anytime we filed in court we have shown photographic evidence.”

    “As I speak, 30 minutes ago, someone under the aircraft told me they had removed the propeller from one of the engines, the engine stand was there with the view of changing the engine. Two weeks ago, the brake unit of this aircraft was removed and replaced, all of these reports were given to me and continue to be given to me by Aero Contractors staff, working on the aircraft.”

    “We actually approached the courts when all these were happening to ask for an exparte order that the aircraft be taken away from Aero hangar, possession of aircraft taken by the police, the IGP, AIG Airport and Commissioner of Police Airport, to take physical possession of the aircraft, secure it at a location at the airfield and report to the court about the security and safety of the aircraft pending the determination of the case. But the judge felt since there was going to be the contempt proceeding in two days time, felt there was no need
    to do that and felt the contempt proceeding will deal with it.”

    Iyayi SAID  Topbrass has invested over $12,000,0000 on the finance purchase agreement it entered into with Seagold for acquisition of the assets and had not defaulted in the 24 month agreement period to give Seagold unfettered access to the aircraft for repossession.

    The contempt order was filed against Seagold Investment Limited, a pilot with the Presidential fleet, one Captain Baba Mohammed personally, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), its Director General, Captain Usman Mukhar personally, Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi personally, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) all of whom must comply with the restraining order until the matter was settled.

    Justice Hassan ruled that all parties must be represented at the adjourned date or he will issue a bench warrant as the case was a quasi-criminal trial and those served needed to be present for the hearing.

  • Reason for power outage at Lagos Airport, by FAAN

    Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ), on Thursday attributed power outage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to a minor electrical fault.

    The outage threw parts of the terminal into darkness. A source hinted that the outage affected the D Wing of the terminal

    Confirming the development, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said the power disruption was caused by a minor electrical fault

    Yakubu said: “FAAN wishes to inform the general public of a temporary power outage at the D Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Read Also: Power outage hits Lagos airport again

    “The outage is due to a minor electrical fault.

    “Meanwhile, our engineers are already working to rectify the fault and normalcy will be restored soon.’’

    She, however, explained that the outage did not affect flight operations at the nation’s busiest airport.

    Yakubu said FAAN remained committed to the safety and comfort of travelers at all times.

  • Power outage hits Lagos airport again

    The Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos was on Thursday hit by a temporary power outage which affected the D Wing of the terminal.

    Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said the power disruption was caused by a minor electrical fault.

    Yakubu said: “FAAN wishes to inform the general public of a temporary power outage at the D Wing of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The outage is due to a minor electrical fault.

    “Meanwhile, our engineers are already working to rectify the fault and normalcy will be restored soon.’’

    She however explained that the outage did not affect flight operations at the nation’s busiest airport.

    Read Also: ‘Lagos better under under APC leadership’

    Yakubu said that FAAN remained committed to the safety and comfort of travellers at all times.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the MMIA was on November  7, 2018 affected by a power outage lasting several hours which affected flight operations.

    Aviation stakeholders had expressed concern over the ugly development and called on the Federal Government to create an independent power supply for the MMIA to befit its Category One status.

    NAN

     

  • How to save airports’ running cost, by expert

    HOW can the high power cost of running airports be reduced? It is by allowing their managers to generate their power, says an expert, Herbert  Odika.

    In an interview in Lagos, he said  some airports in Europe and other parts of the world generated their own power, rather than relying on the general source of electricity.

    A first of its kind pilot project in Africa consisting of a ground-mounted 500 KW solar power generation facility and mobile airport gate electric equipment was launched at Moi International Airport, in Kenya.

    Besides Kenya, such project is in place in India, Malaysia and other parts of the world.

    Doing such, he said, would not only reduce the cost  borne on electricity bills, diesel for generators, that is not environment-friendly, but improve revenue and bring about efficient services at the airport.

    Odika said allowing airports to generate their sources of power, would enable them supply power to airport communities and stimulate the setting up of Aero Zone around the airports.

    Odika said  airports will continue to remain stagnant, if power supply remained epileptic with generating plants consuming a huge chunk of its revenue.

    He said: “The 1000KVA generator at the airport uses a drum of diesel every hour; a drum of diesel costs about N300, 000. So, how do you become viable if you look at your overhead cost?

    ‘’The government should allow airports to generate their own power that will bring huge savings to the airports, especially the few major ones in Nigeria.’’

    According to the expert, our airports are not viable, adding that passengers traffic had not been encouraging compared with the country’s population.

    “An airport that cannot boost of 50 flights a day is not seen in the eyes of any private investors as viable. The overhead costs of Abuja and Lagos airports are not the best for concession. It’s not viable at all in terms of power; cost of tickets are not affordable and has had a ripple effect on flight in 2018,” he said.

    Odika, an aviation consultant and former director operations at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Limited (NAHCO), said  aviation in Nigeria has taken a negative deep in terms of infrastructural development.

    He explained that foreign airlines  have been complaining of operating costs, such as taxes, saying it is their passengers that bear the brunt.

    Odika said the country was gradually moving from civil aviation to compromised aviation in the sense that with the country’s national carrier then, around 2004 when Nigeria Airways was finally liquidated, there were a lot of crisis because the domestic airlines relied on the national carrier to get certain things to keep them going.

    He noted that the liquidation made it difficult for the airlines to be on their own and started compromising and the industry started having issues with the regulatory  body as a result of the regulatory allowing airlines to pay inspectors bills then.

    Odika noted that airline operators took a lot of things for granted and urged the NCAA to live up to expectation if the country will move forward

    He noted that since aviation thrived on safety, speed and accuracy, a compromised regulator would jeopardise the sector if it allows  airlines to pay inspectors bills.

    Odika restated that no operator with Boeing 737 aircraft will survive in Nigeria.

    According to him, B737 was meant for a long haul and not for domestic operations, adding that it was difficult for domestic airlines to have a clean record for five years because they were not making money due to operating aircraft type and absence of code sharing between domestic airlines operators

    On airport concession, Odika said administrative and technical issues must be cleared before it could be done. He added that it was viable to concession airports but that their operators should be willing to give airlines certain incentives to survive.

    The former Nacho operations director urged airlines personnel  to engage themselves in airline training to understand how to be profitable, saying that there was the need for them to diversify.

    He noted that the country will fail if it relied on airports to survive, stressing that airport car parks, which ought to be major source of revenue, are not properly managed in the country.

    According to Odika, having  duty-free shops at airports will not sell because ‘’it is not our culture’’. He called for the setting up of an Aero zone around the airport to generate revenue.