Tag: Asaba

Aviation units have expressed divergent views about Sunday’s flight diversion to Asaba, the Delta State capital, instead of its destination in Abuja.

The President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Abednego Galadima, expressed worry about the development.

He said it portrayed the nation’s aviation industry in a bat light as well as constituted serious safety and security tendencies.

But the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) warned Flight Dispatcher Association of Nigeria (FLIDAN) against making allegations that could impede the investigations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) into the flight diversion involving a United Airlines Flight NUA 0504 from Lagos to Abuja.

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NATCA’s National President Yomi Agoro accused FLIDAN of demonstrating ignorance on the matter.

Agoro explained that a flight plan is subject to amendment.

He said NATCA would not respond to the allegations but would wait for the outcome of NCAA’s investigation.

“They are ignorant of this fact. Are they aware that a flight plan is subject to amendment? The investigation is on course. Let us not preempt the exercise. They have exposed their conduct and at the appropriate time, NATCA will speak,” Agoro said.

In a telephone interview, Galadima told The Nation that development exposed the underbelly of the influx of foreign pilots in the Nigerian airspace, a trend the association had consistently opposed.

Galadima said: “We see it as a flagrant disregard for the expatriate quota. I will see it as a situation whereby because some people have Air Operators’ Certificate, they will just go and enter a lease agreement; they call Aircraft Crew Maintenance Insurance (ACMI) with nothing other than the commission they get on their routes. But nothing accrues to Nigeria.

“The Nigerian pilot doesn’t gain in terms of training or improvement in skills or types rating. The engineers do not gain. They just come with their aircraft with everything and begin to do business without regard or interface with our own professionals. I don’t think it is accepted.”

On the controversy over the flight plan filed by the flight dispatcher of United Nigeria Airlines, Galadima said the problem of diversion could have emanated from the error in the code of the document sent.

He said: “Instead of using the IATA call sign of ADB, there was a change from V to B. But you begin to ask yourself questions. A flight plan is one document. There is what they call leadership. That gives you the number of passengers onboard and other things.

“And then, the information we had was that the controller that gave the start-up reminded the captain that the flight plan was for Abuja, but the pilot said it was Asaba.

“You ask yourself what was the company’s programme when the pilot came in that morning. Was there any change in the company’s programme? So, there are more questions unanswered that we need to know.”

The Federal Government has directed an investigation into a United Nigeria Airlines flight which landed in Asaba, Delta state capital instead of Abuja.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo disclosed this on Monday in Abuja.

The Minister said the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) was investigating the incident and other aviation related incidents.

He directed the Bureau to submit its report in ten days.

The Nation reports that United Nigeria Airlines, on Sunday said its Lagos-Abuja flight was diverted to Asaba, Delta State capital, due to poor weather conditions.

The flight, NUA 0504, took off on Sunday from the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Terminal 2 and was headed for Abuja.

Speaking with reporters, Keyamo said from the flight’s transcript, the pilot was directed to Asaba from Lagos.

He said the pilot didn’t know the route because the crew were foreigners.

The Minister directed all wet lease operators to include a Nigerian pilot in their crew.

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Wet Lease operator refers to the leasing of an aircraft to an airline along with a crew to fly the plane and provide the onboard service.

Speaking on Monday, Keyamo said: “We have listened to the transcript from the plane. It was clear that the pilot was directed to Asaba from Lagos.

“It is a question of a wet lease where the plane pilot and crew are foreigners because they came with the plane. The pilot didn’t know the route.

“Henceforth, all wet lease coming into Nigeria must have a Nigeria pilot sitting at the cockpit. We have also decided that a wet Lease must have Nigerians as cabin crew.”

He also warned that all regulators who fail in their duties must be penalised and have their licenses suspended.

On the issue of delayed flights and cancellation, the Minister said “We are also looking into delayed and cancelled flights for compensation for Nigerians.

“We are reassuring Nigerians that we are taking every step as a ministry to ensure safety of air transport.”