The Nation Newspaper

Tag: aviation

  • Why EFCC is investigating us, by Aviation handling firm

    Why EFCC is investigating us, by Aviation handling firm

    The management of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (Nahco) Plc at the weekend explained the reason for the visit of officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the company.

    The management of the company said the EFCC was investigating a petition against the company. Operatives of the EFCC had last week stormed the headquarters of Nahco and subsequently invited some top managers and directors of the company for questioning at the agency’s office.

    Nahco said it cooperated with the operatives of the commission, insisting that the visit of the EFCC operatives and the invitation of top managers and some directors to the EFCC’s office have minimal impact on operations and business continuity.

    “Nahco wishes to assure its numerous customers, shareholders and its European Union strategic investors that core operations of the company will be sustained under the current difficult situation. The Managing Director, who was on a short vacation, has since cut short his vacation and is back at the helm of affairs at the company. Management will provide updates as and when available,” Nahco said.

    The management of the ground handling and logistics company noted that as a publicly quoted company, Nahco is guided by the guidelines set by capital market regulators and it is also aware of its shareholders’ rights as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria, extant  rules and the mutual investment protection treaty covering European strategic investors on its board.

  • Aviation pensioners oppose concession, privitasation of airports 

    The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), branch said they are opposed to plans by the Federal Government to concession or privatise four airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt .

    They said the move is against national interest as the persons, or company to be contracted to handle these international airports could be hired, to allow weapons into the country .

    Speaking at a briefing in Lagos yesterday, the National Chairman of NUP, FAAN, Comrade Rasak Ope and the Administrative Secretary, Comrade Emeka Njoku, said previous attempts by government to achieve any form of concession in the aviation sector has been fraught with controversies .

    They said rather than concession the airports, FAAN, should be allowed to run existing airports without interference, saying the last administration excluded FAAN from privatisation, or concession based on its security implications .

    They urged the Federal Government to focus on airports rather than privatalising these viable airport terminals, adding that  since the Minister of Aviation, Capt Hadi Sirika  is determined to make the airports profitable, he should concentrate on unviable airports and make them viable.

    The union officials explained that airports across the world, represent a  country’s sovereignty, hence handing them to individuals or group of people portends danger to the country.

    They said previous attempts aimed at privatising some government entities, including  the Power Holding Company of Ngeria, Ajaokuta Steel, Nigerian Ielecommunication and the Nigeria Airways, did not yield the desired results.

    “How can we give out our national heritage to individuals to operate, thereby undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty, losing sight of the security implications, which is supposed to be paramount in every sphere of our national life? they queried, stressing that airports should not be seen as buying and selling ventures, where profit should be the yardstick

    “Airports represent the public interest, such as economic, social activities and international connections, from country to country and state to state,” they said, pointing out that  contracting our four major airports to a person or company to handle could be dangerous as interest parties could be  hired or compromised to  allow weapons into the country, including people of questionable characters.

    “They can use this laxity to flock into the country and forment trouble which can lead to the  deaths of citizens.

    They argued that it was inappropriate  at this time when Nigeria is still battling with Boko Haram’s agitation  state of Biafra and militancy. Therefore we should not open more ways for trouble in the name of “wanting our airports to be more viable and putting Nigerians in danger,”

    They questioned whether the Act establishing FAAN has been abrogated or amended by the National Assembly to warrant the implementation of this plaaned concessin, or privatisation.

  • Air Nigeria didn’t get aviation fund, says Ibrahim

    Air Nigeria didn’t get aviation fund, says Ibrahim

    Chairman of NICON Group of Companies, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim denied allegation of diversion of N35 billion out of the N500 billion said to have been released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the moribund Air Nigeria.

    The bank through which the fund was paid however faulted Ibrahim’s claim.

    Ibrahim, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation yesterday insisted that Air Nigeria, like others, did not receive any fund.

    It was at the ongoing investigation of alleged diversion of N500 billion intervention funds for aviation and power sectors .

    He noted that when he took over Virgin Nigeria, it left a debt of $250 million which he said was offset through assets from his group of companies.

    He said NICON group, to which Air Nigeria belonged, approached the bank, which was also Virgin Nigeria’s banker to secure a loan of N35.5 billion which the bank obtained from the Bank of Industry (BOI).

    He added that the airline secured another $40 million loan from the Afrexim Bank, which he claimed had been fully paid back.

    Ibrahim noted that he ran the airline for only two years before it was grounded by the regulatory agencies.

    He said the defunct Virgin Nigeria was owned by two categories of people which he grouped into Category A and Category B.

    Category A, he said, comprised the original owner, Richard Branson, whom he said had all the powers while category B consisted of a group of Nigerian investors who owned 49 per cent of the shares.

    He said Branson offered the shares to investors at $1 per one as he listed institutional investors in the company in Nigeria to include Wema Securities.

    He explained that with the agreement of all involved, his group of companies bought the airline 100 per cent.

    He insisted that he never had access to the intervention fund neither did he apply to CBN, the custodian of the fund for any loan.

  • Anxiety grips aviation workers as restructuring begins

    Anxiety grips aviation workers as restructuring begins

    There is anxiety in the aviation sector following the Federal Government’s restructuring plans to reduce directorates in agencies.

    The agencies agencies are the  Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Civil Aviation (NCAA),Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and others.

    Many aviation workers, a source hinted, are running around the Presidency as well as the Ministry of Aviation to stop possible implementation of a panel report that recommended a massive shake-up for the sector.

    Apart from reduction in the directorates, which have been  bloated in the last few years, the government has audited of personnel in some of the agencies to balance technical personnel with those without professional expertise in critical units of the sector.

    Towards this end, massive re- deployment of personnel in some agencies, including FAAN , NCAA and NAMA will begin this week

    The resolve to restructure the aviation sector is a fallout of the recommendations of the Presidential Committee chaired by the Head of Service, Winifred Ekanem  Oyo-Ita.

    The committee has concluded work on the re-deployment of personnel in FAAN, alleged to have bloated work force because of politically-motivated appointments.

    Aviation unions petitioned the panel to overhaul the sector for lopsided appointments, which shortchanged career civil servants.

    Apart from FAAN, NAMA  and the NCAA have redundant departments and directorates as well as unproductive personnel.

    FAAN has no fewer than 40 General Managers, with more directorates created from existing directorates, thereby raising overhead cost  to over N800 million monthly.

    Four years ago,  the directorates in FAAN grew from six to 10. The six were Directorates of Administration, Commercial, Finance, Engineering Operations and Security.

    After the expansion, Directorate of Legal Service, which was a department under the Managing Director’s office, emerged, alongside Directorates of Cargo, Projects and Human Resources. The new exercise would see Directorates of Human Resources and Administration come together as it was before; Directorate of Project go back to Engineering Directorate and Cargo Directorate revert to Directorate of Commercial.

    The NCAA had Directorate of Airworthiness Standards (DAWS), Directorate of Airports and Aerodrome Standards (DAAS), Directorate of Operations and Training (DOT), Directorate of Finance and Administration (DFA), and Directorate of Air Transport Regulation (DATR). A few years ago,  DFA was split to three directorates and two departments.

    They are Directorate of Administration (DOA), Directorate of Human Resources (DHR) and Directorate of General Aviation (DGA), with the creation of office of Company Secretary and Legal Adviser. The directorates in NAMA are Operations, Engineering, Human Resources, Administration and Finance.

    At the weekend,  the Ministry of Aviation, acting on the recommendations of the committee, directed the parastatal to effect the changes.

    Many of the directorates that are not part of FAAN’s original organogram will be absorbed into the original directorate.

    Some personnel who were brought into FAAN without qualification or requisite  experience have been reviewed.

    A female director in the agency has been redeployed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. An acting General Manager in the Finance Department was demoted  from level 17 to level 10 and moved to the Information Communication and Technological department (ICT).

  • African aviation, oil, gas insurance premium dip 40%

    African aviation, oil, gas insurance premium dip 40%

    The African aviation insurance pool’s premium dropped by 40 per cent from $2,670,621 million in 2014 to N1,021,77 million last year, the 2016 Annual Review of African Insurance Organisation (AIO) released at the ongoing 43rd AIO conference and General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco has shown.

    The review showed that in the oil and gas sector of the regional market, the oil and energy pool with 50 underwriting members from 14 African countries  in 2010 recorded gross premium income of N21,103,565 million against N16,350,761 million in 2011.

    “The African Aviation Pool, a consortium of countries underwriting aviation insurance also recorded a drop in its gross premium from $3,249,244 million in 2012 to $2,670,622 million in 2013.

    “The pool profit also reduced between 2013 and 2014 from N1,517,317 million  in 2014 to N371,904 in 2013.

    “In the oil and gas sector, the regional market, as the African Oil and Energy pool with 50 underwriting members from 14 African countries  in 2010 recorded gross premium income of N21,103,565 million against N16,350,761 million in 2011,” the report read in part.

    The review further showed that the formation of a local oil and energy pool by Nigeria affected the performance of the sub-regional pool.

    In February last year, the Nigerian insurance underwriters, in their bid to ensure active participation in underwriting of businesses of oil multinationals in the country, formed their own energy pool.

    Immediate past president of AIO, Mrs Lamia Ben Mahmoud, urged members of the pool to cooperate with each other in order to improve on their performance.

  • Aviation…When will troubles be over?

    Aviation…When will troubles be over?

    As Arik and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) battle over alleged indebtedness, there are other unresolved issues, especially relating to plans to introduce new charges, writes KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR

    Around handling firms, such as the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc and Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), are battling the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) over plans to introduce new charges.  They have the support of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), which has written a petition to the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika. All they want is for Sirika to prevail on FAAN to drop the proposed charges.

    The charges include ground  rent per square metre of office space per annum; concession fee of  five per cent annual gross income; fees for on duty cards, airside drivers licence / permit , access fee for fuel tankers as well as cost of direction signage / company signboard.

    Companies operating around the airport are to pay N10, 000 per employee per annum. Employees  of companies doing business around the stakeholders car park on the MMIA are to pay  N15, 000 per staff per annum for the use of the car park. At the car park opposite SAHCOL headquarters, employees  of ground handling companies, cargo agents and others are to pay an average of N300 per entry.

    The union listed other fees, taxes, tarrifs and levies imposed on SAHCOL and NAHCO to include: N150,000 per vehicle Apron Pass .

    FAAN also expects companies in the Lagos airport to pay N149, 021, 723.75 per square metre for office space. Their counterparts operating in the Abuja Airport are expected to pay N 13,494,060. Firms in Kano Airport are expected to pay N20, 247, 000 and firms operating at the Port Harcourt Airport are to cough out N 22, 042, 396.80.

    For installing screening machines at the SAHCOL Cargo Complex, FAAN expects the payment of N 42, 000 , 000 at four stations. The construction of equipment parking bay for the Lagos Airport attracts a fee of at N 5.5 million and  N3 million for the Ilorin Airport.

    FAAN expects N200, 000, 000 per annum as land charge for the SAHCOL cargo complex. It also expects SAHCOL to pay N 420,000, 000 for the construction of the link road.

    For the Airport Operators of Nigeria (AON), some airport charges must be scrapped to reduce operating costs. Its chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison, said: “The multiple taxes, levies and airport charges have ripple effects on airline business .They have their collateral effect on the operations of airlines.  The airport charges, taxes, navigation fees, and other levies introduced by government are affecting the business.

    “We are paying Customs duties and paying VAT but foreign airlines that operate into Nigeria don’t pay these taxes. There are also multiple taxation and other levies. We are not asking for rebate or intervention fund but to review the levies and the charges. They charge the airlines landing and parking, navigational charges and terminal charges. There are charges levied for which services are not provided.”

    All eyes are on a ministerial committee to resolve the impasse over FAAN’s fresh charges in the sector.

  • How to grow aviation, by experts

    How to grow aviation, by experts

    THE Federal Government must invest $50billion in airport facilities and other support infrastructure in the next 28 years to grow the aviation sector, Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Managing Director  Mr Segun Demuren has said.

    The  investment, according to him, will enable aviation agencies build air navigation facilities for  business/private jet and scheduled aircraft operators.

    Demuren spoke in Lagos as covener of the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference.

    He said private/business jet operators were adversely affected by some policies of government. He listed some of the unfavourable policies to include; imposition of  five per cent import duty tax on private/business aircraft; inadequate airport facilities and  multiple charges.

    He said government needs to re- examine its policies on business aviation to stimulate the growth of the sector.

    Demuren said business aviation could stimulate the growth of the sector if  harnessed as aviation contributed over $685 million to the  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.

    According to him,business aviation which comprised chartered and private jet operators contributed 25 per cent out of the total amount.

    He said there is still room for more operators in the burgeoning business aviation sector if the right policies are put in place.

    He noted that despite the challenges affecting business aviation, there is growing interest in the use of private jets and helicopters for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC).

    Private / business jets and helicopters, he said, has become a critical strategy to handle security challenges by some agencies of government including the  Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which  recently acquired   a Cessna CJ4 jet for border patrol.

    Some states, he said,  have  also acquired  four Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC) helicopters to enhance monitoring of security .

    This, he said, would drive demand for more private jets and related facilities .

    Business aviation, he said, has assisted to open new frontiers for investment especially in states where new airports have been constructed.

    It has also contributed to the creation of over 5,000 jobs in the last 10 years, because of the services it provides with the use of aircraft,such as as air ambulances, which has saved 500 patients from dying.

    The aviation expert, however, faulted unfavourable government’s policy which he said has slowed the growth of aviation in the country.

    He cited five per cent import duty tax on aircraft, describing it as a conflict  because Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention which does not require payment for tax on moveable assets.

    Demuren said: “There is also five per cent import duty on essential aircraft spare parts, coupled with double taxation. Five per cent of business turnover is also demanded from operators.”

    He listed three top issues affecting business aviation operators as unavailability of cheap finance, lack of major maintenance facilities, saying that business aviation spends over $305 million yearly on overseas checks.

    Demuren also decried the non-availability of cheap financing from financial institutions in the country for business aviation unlike their counterparts in Europe, America and Asia that have access to finance,

    He said  inadequate infrastructure also contributed immensely to undermine the growth of business aviation.

    He insisted that since Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, the government is not supposed to  impose the  five  per cent import duty on aircraft.

    He said with such five per cent imposition operators are  suffering from double taxation in the country.

    He said: “There is a lot of misconception about business aviation in Nigeria. Some think it is just for luxury, but I can tell you here that only one per cent of our customers patronise us for luxury and pleasure while the remaining 99 per cent is strictly for business.

    Also speaking the Managing Director of Toucan Aviation Support Services, Achuzie Ezenagu, has called on the Federal Government to focus on the development of aviation in Nigeria as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

    Ezenagu said government could work with stakeholders to grow the sector.

    He also called for establishment of Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria, noting that it would safe the country huge financial resources, help to train and employ indigenous aircraft engineers, make aircraft checks cost effective for Nigerian airlines and reinforce Nigeria as a hub in West Africa.

    Also speaking,the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said Nigeria is long over due for such facility and noted that if 40 per cent of the funds spent on the re-modelling of airport facilities in the last few years were deployed by government to establish the facility it would have been invaluable for the development of aviation in the country.

    Demuren noted that Nigeria loses huge resources maintaining its aircraft overseas and besides the economic loss, Nigerian trained aircraft engineers cannot secure jobs locally and for Nigeria to become the West African hub, it must have the MRO facility.

    “We should make the airport more accessible and make them more available. Government can encourage stakeholders to grow the sector by providing incentives. Government should also find a way to bring all the data from different sectors of the economy together because every sector works hand in hand with another.

    Also speaking, Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison described business aviation as  transport logistics needed to accelerate economic activity .

    Private jets, he said, have become essential within Nigeria because of  poor roads, limited domestic airline fleet and train network.

    He said: “The time saving, the convenience and the increased productivity that follows means business aviation is not a luxury but an essential tool for growth in Nigeria.”

    Megisson said government has taken some steps to address challenges associated with business aviation.

    He said: ”Government is expanding facilities at some airports as  it has removed import duties on new jets. The signing a few years ago of  Cape Town convention reassuring lessors about asset security is enough evidence of this.

    Government has also invested  in new infrastructure including a private jet terminal that opened last year in Abuja.”

  • Aviation workers to shut Caverton Helicopters

    Aviation workers to shut Caverton Helicopters

    Aviation workers, under the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), have threatened to shut operations of Caverton Helicopters in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt over unpaid salaries.

    Aviation unions have been negotiating with the airline on issues, ranging from arbitrary slash of salaries, injustice to workers and disregard for labour laws.

    The notice was contained in a statement by Olayinka Abioye, acting general secretary of NUATE and copied to the branch chairmen of Warri, Port Harcourt and Lagos.

    The union said there shall be no further discussions on the matter, as efforts to resolve it have proved abortive.

    The statement reads : “Notice is hereby given to the public and particularly, the clients of Caverton Helicopters, that due to persistent anti-labour practices of management of the company, the unions have resolved to shut operations of the company in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt in seven days, if salaries of our members are not reinstated.

    “There shall be no further discussions on these issues, as the unions have exhibited a high sense of responsibility and maturity in getting the matter resolved but to no avail. This message serves as a final notice of industrial action. Caverton Helicopters workers are to note and be prepared.”

    A source said  the situation had worsened since  last September when management cut salaries without recourse to the workers or unions.

    ” When this happened, the unions met with management, which said the cut in salaries was as a result of the prevailing oil crisis. But the union found out that the cut was not holistic, and was done putting sentimental interest in the fore.

    “Imagine someone earning N300,000, his salary was cut down to N40,000 while another earning N250,000 now earns as low as N30,000.

    “In  fact when management heard that due to their action there might be an upheaval, they rushed in and started doing selective gratification by paying the sons of the soils, the indigenes or what you can call workers from indigent communities, leaving out those that did not come from there.”

    “Non-indigenes have got nothing and as we speak those in Lagos still work under the same conditions and I want to believe the union has exhausted all avenues to resolve the matter. Imagine Caverton asked 30 workers to resign. The union waded in and they discussed to let them go on the grounds of redundancy. But as we speak most of them have not been paid.

    The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Choms, said the company only reduced workers salaries, but that salaries were up to date.

  • How to grow aviation, by experts

    How to grow aviation, by experts

    THE Federal Government must invest $50billion in airport facilities and other support infrastructure in the next 28 years to grow the aviation sector, Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Managing Director  Mr Segun Demuren has said.

    The  investment, according to him, will enable aviation agencies build air navigation facilities for  business/private jet and scheduled aircraft operators.

    Demuren spoke in Lagos as covener of the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference.

    He said private/business jet operators were adversely affected by some policies of government. He listed some of the unfavourable policies to include; imposition of  five per cent import duty tax on private/business aircraft; inadequate airport facilities and  multiple charges.

    He said government needs to re- examine its policies on business aviation to stimulate the growth of the sector.

    Demuren said business aviation could stimulate the growth of the sector if  harnessed as aviation contributed over $685 million to the  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.

    According to him,business aviation which comprised chartered and private jet operators contributed 25 per cent out of the total amount.

    He said there is still room for more operators in the burgeoning business aviation sector if the right policies are put in place.

    He noted that despite the challenges affecting business aviation, there is growing interest in the use of private jets and helicopters for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC).

    Private / business jets and helicopters, he said, has become a critical strategy to handle security challenges by some agencies of government including the  Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which  recently acquired   a Cessna CJ4 jet for border patrol.

    Some states, he said,  have  also acquired  four Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC) helicopters to enhance monitoring of security .

    This, he said, would drive demand for more private jets and related facilities .

    Business aviation, he said, has assisted to open new frontiers for investment especially in states where new airports have been constructed.

    It has also contributed to the creation of over 5,000 jobs in the last 10 years, because of the services it provides with the use of aircraft,such as as air ambulances, which has saved 500 patients from dying.

    The aviation expert, however, faulted unfavourable government’s policy which he said has slowed the growth of aviation in the country.

    He cited five per cent import duty tax on aircraft, describing it as a conflict  because Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention which does not require payment for tax on moveable assets.

    Demuren said: “There is also five per cent import duty on essential aircraft spare parts, coupled with double taxation. Five per cent of business turnover is also demanded from operators.”

    He listed three top issues affecting business aviation operators as unavailability of cheap finance, lack of major maintenance facilities, saying that business aviation spends over $305 million yearly on overseas checks.

    Demuren also decried the non-availability of cheap financing from financial institutions in the country for business aviation unlike their counterparts in Europe, America and Asia that have access to finance,

    He said  inadequate infrastructure also contributed immensely to undermine the growth of business aviation.

    He insisted that since Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, the government is not supposed to  impose the  five  per cent import duty on aircraft.

    He said with such five per cent imposition operators are  suffering from double taxation in the country.

    He said: “There is a lot of misconception about business aviation in Nigeria. Some think it is just for luxury, but I can tell you here that only one per cent of our customers patronise us for luxury and pleasure while the remaining 99 per cent is strictly for business.

    Also speaking the Managing Director of Toucan Aviation Support Services, Achuzie Ezenagu, has called on the Federal Government to focus on the development of aviation in Nigeria as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

    Ezenagu said government could work with stakeholders to grow the sector.

    He also called for establishment of Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria, noting that it would safe the country huge financial resources, help to train and employ indigenous aircraft engineers, make aircraft checks cost effective for Nigerian airlines and reinforce Nigeria as a hub in West Africa.

    Also speaking,the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said Nigeria is long over due for such facility and noted that if 40 per cent of the funds spent on the re-modelling of airport facilities in the last few years were deployed by government to establish the facility it would have been invaluable for the development of aviation in the country.

    Demuren noted that Nigeria loses huge resources maintaining its aircraft overseas and besides the economic loss, Nigerian trained aircraft engineers cannot secure jobs locally and for Nigeria to become the West African hub, it must have the MRO facility.

    “We should make the airport more accessible and make them more available. Government can encourage stakeholders to grow the sector by providing incentives. Government should also find a way to bring all the data from different sectors of the economy together because every sector works hand in hand with another.

    Also speaking, Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison described business aviation as  transport logistics needed to accelerate economic activity .

    Private jets, he said, have become essential within Nigeria because of  poor roads, limited domestic airline fleet and train network.

    He said: “The time saving, the convenience and the increased productivity that follows means business aviation is not a luxury but an essential tool for growth in Nigeria.”

    Megisson said government has taken some steps to address challenges associated with business aviation.

    He said: ”Government is expanding facilities at some airports as  it has removed import duties on new jets. The signing a few years ago of  Cape Town convention reassuring lessors about asset security is enough evidence of this.

    Government has also invested  in new infrastructure including a private jet terminal that opened last year in Abuja.”

  • Senate seeks probe of $40m loan to aviation sector

    The Senate yesterday asked its joint Committee on Aviation and Anti-Corruption to investigate the disbursement and utilisation of $40 million loan alleged to have been released by the Federal Government in 2011 for the rehabilitation and development of infrastructure in the aviation industry.

    The upper chamber also mandated the same committee to probe the release of N33.55 billion in the same year for the same purpose.

    This followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate ad-hoc committee on Aviation which investigated a motion on “The worrisome and unstable position of Nigerian Aviation industry.”

    The report was presented by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano Central)

    The Senate said the Chief Executives of Aviation agencies in the country should take steps to replace aging pilots in their system.

    It said that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should pay more emphasis on the provision of state of the art flying equipment to enhance air safety.

    Other recommendations of the Committee adopted included that “Good leadership spirit should be inculcated by the Chief executive of aviation parastatals and other stakeholders to refurbish and maintain physical facility and equipment.

    “While the building of infrastructure in some of our airports are appreciated, NAMA and FAAN should pay more emphasis on the provision of the state of the art flying equipment that will enhance safety and assist the pilots to do their jobs professionally and confidently without endangering their lives and that of passengers, to guide against a situation where planes cannot take off and land because of poor visibility as a result of fog.”

    The Senate agreed that “because of the delicate nature of the aviation industry only qualified and properly trained people should be employed while “the chief executive of aviation parastatals, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology should put in place a programme in place to replace the aging pilots in aviation industry taking into cognisance young pilots on ground that needed a particular flying hours before they can be employed.”

    The Senate said that NAMA should be directed to henceforth stop the collection of navigational charges on all training aircrafts in Nigeria while the aviation section in federal, ministry of transport should not interfere in the day to day running of the specialised unit in the aviation industry.

    The Senate said that the federal airport authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should be directed to rehabilitate and complete all abandoned structures and pull down those that have lost their value.