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Tag: Capt. Muhtar Usman

  • Nigerian airlines sold tickets worth N505bn in 2017 — NCAA

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Thursday that domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria sold tickets worth N505.2 billion in 2017.

    The Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, stated this at the Quarterly Business Breakfast Meeting of the Aviation Round Table (ART) in Lagos.

    The theme of the meeting was: “Evaluation of Safety and Security Performance of Aviation Agencies in the last four years.’’

    Usman, who was represented by the Director of Consumer Complaints Directorate, NCAA, Capt. Adamu Abdullahi, said the ticket sales increased by 14.2 per cent (N82.7 billion) compared to the N422.4 billion sold in 2016.

    According to him, the eight domestic airlines sold N93.6 billion worth of tickets, while the 32 airlines on the international routes sold tickets worth N411.6 billion during the period under review.

    He said the amount realized from the sale of tickets would have been higher if not for the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for six weeks to enable the government rehabilitate its runway.

    “A stable forex regime, effective implementation of the Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business as well as the resumption of flight activities to the Maiduguri Airport, earlier closed due to insecurity, contributed to the increase,’’ the NCAA chief said.

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  • NCAA conducts alcohol, drug test on aviation personnel

    NCAA conducts alcohol, drug test on aviation personnel

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has conducted a random alcohol and drug tests on 87 licensed aviation personnel in the industry, including airline pilots, cabin crew and air traffic controllers.

    The spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye disclosed this Monday.

    According to Adurogboye, the exercise was in compliance to a directive from the Director General of NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman.

    The directive was duly communicated in an Advisory Circular NCAA – AMS – 004 titled “Drugs and Alcohol Policy for Air Operators Certificate holders, Air Navigation Service Providers and other aviation stakeholders” issued to the aviation industry by the Authority.

    A total of 87 personnel from two airlines, Air Peace, Medview and Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) were tested.

    They were randomly tested as they were about to embark on flight operations and air traffic control duties.

    There include 29 Pilots, 10 Cabin crew.

    Adurogboye said: “However, out of the 87 personnel tested, only one crew member tested positive to psychoactive substance, Tetrahydro – Cannabinol (Marijuana) and was immediately suspended by the Authority from carrying out further flight operations.”

    “Further investigations were later carried out to ascertain the quantity of the substance in the urine sample of the crew member.

    “The Medical Certificate and License of the aircrew has been suspended for 180 days from April 5, 2017.

    “Accordingly, the respondent shall cease to exercise the privileges of the License for the period of his suspension.

    In addition, the crew member shall within seven days of receipt of Letter of Sanction, hand over the License to the Authority’s Director of Licensing (DOL).

    “The aircrew shall undergo a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation for psychoactive substance abuse during the suspension period under the care of a Consultant Psychiatrist.

    At the end, the report of the Consultant Psychiatrist shall be reviewed by the Authority’s Consultant Psychiatrist Adviser. This is to enable NCAA consider possible restoration of the suspended Medical Certificate and License.

    According to Adurogboye, while 19 pilots are from Air Peace, Medview Airlines had nine pilots Pilots  and 32 Cabin crew.

    He said: “Others were from Air Navigation Service Providers, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), 16 licensed Air Traffic Controllers and Trainees. As well as many Licensed ATC Trainees from the Control Tower and TRACON Centre.

    “The random drug and alcohol tests for Licensed Aviation Personnel will be carried out periodically to rid the industry of menace of crew members and ATCs conducting flight operations under the influence of psychoactive substance which could jeopardise flight safety.

    “The exercise was conducted by Medical Assessors from the Aeromedical Department of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will continue to carry out consistent surveillance on the aviation industry to ensure full compliance with extant Regulations. Failure will however, attract adequate sanction.”

     

     

  • NCAA chief advises airlines on integrity

    NCAA chief advises airlines on integrity

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA)Director-General Capt. Muhtar Usman has called on service providers to imbibe integrity in their activities.

    Delivering a paper entitled: “Enhancing business transaction integrity in Nigeria’s aviation industry”, at a Business Transaction summit in Lagos, Usman urged service providers and airlines to remember that money-making should not be the only objective of starting a business, but that they should make honour and integrity the hallmark.

    “Irrespective of size, or range of products or the seemingly best customer service that a service provider/airlines prides in, it is nothing if it does not maintain integrity in business dealings, especially when it has to do with remitting money to the coffers of government as at when due to create enabling operating environment.

    “Enhancing business transaction integrity in business cannot be equated with anything else, but when a company is known for its transparency and integrity in business, it increases its chances to grow, make huge profits and have a loyal customer base,” he said.

    Section 12 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 states: “There shall continue to be a five per cent air ticket contract, charter and cargo sales charge to be collected by the airlines and paid over to the Authority.”

    However, he lamented that some airlines had defaulted in paying back the entrusted money to the appropriate owner.

    “Where lies our business integrity if we cannot give back what is entrusted into our hands to the owner. It is sad to point out that some of us cannot decipher operational cost from profit margin. A good businessman endeavours to separate the profit margin with the operational cost.

    “And if we were doing this, we would have been able to separate the five per cent service charge from the real ticket sales and draw our operational/profit margin from the actual,” he said.

    Usman debunked claims by airlines that the five per cent ticket sales charge (TSC) and five per cent cargo sales charge (CSC) collected as tax or levy had become a drain on their earnings.

    “This is a misrepresentation of the fact. The TSC as contained in the ticket is paid by passengers. The airlines’ role is to collect and remit same to the regulatory authority.

    “The TSC and CSC are collected at source from passengers by airlines on behalf of the federal government, to enable all aviation agencies tackle safety and critical issues as they arise to engender safe, secure and efficient air transportation and allied services for the overall benefits of all stakeholders,” he said.

    The director-general added: “Business activities have been made so simple by the e-technology. This is very prominent in the private sector; the success of this has made the government to embrace the electronic payment system. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) is electronic driven and has recorded huge success.

    “It is expected that the aviation industry, which is a high tech industry, should key into the e-payment system in all transactions. The question here is: why can’t airlines design an e-payment portal that can enable direct remittance of the five per cent charge to the appropriate quarter? It is achievable, just that the airline operators are fond of trading with monies that do not belong to them and they have gotten used to it.”

  • NCAA orders airlines’ audit

    NCAA orders airlines’ audit

    The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Capt. Muhtar Usman has ordered an immediate commencement of a comprehensive audit of all airlines operating in the country.

    According to him, this exercise is in line with the Authority’s regulatory and oversight responsibilities.

    NCAA’s Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) will continue its routine ramp inspections with eagle eye and attention to fine details.

    The   DG said this directive is to forestall complacency among operators and ensure that they all continue to demonstrate absolute compliance to NCAA’s regulations.

    He said recent events in the industry are being looked at by the  NCAA and this audit is one of the measures taken to forestall further incidents and ensure the sustenance of the confidence of air travellers.

    Usman warned pilots to take precautionary measures during all adverse weather conditions.

    In other words, there should be strict adherence to states’ weather minima and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

    The D-G however assured Nigerians that NCAA will continue to ensure its zero tolerance for non-compliance to regulations is strictly upheld.

  • NCAA restores Discovery Air’s AOC

    NCAA restores Discovery Air’s AOC

    The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Muhtar Usman, has lifted the suspension placed on Discovery Air.

    The regulator has, therefore, restored the carrier’s Air Operators Certificate (AOC).

    In a letter sent to the airline’s management titled: “Notice of restoration of Air Operators Certificate”, which was signed by the director-general, explained that the decision to restore the carrier’s AOC was predicated on the satisfactory conclusion of a Financial Health Audit of the airline.

    In the aftermath of the audit, the management of the airline has demonstrated encouraging commitment to offset the outstanding staff salaries by April 30, 2015.

    In addition, workers sent on compulsory leave without pay have been recalled.

    He said the NCAA is satisfied with the Letters of Credit from the airline’s financiers which had provided guarantee for its business in the long term.

    “Therefore, in consideration of all the actions taken by the airline to address passenger complaints, the Authority, pursuant to Section 35(6) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 hereby lifts the suspension of, and restores the airline’s AOC with effect from the date of receipt of this letter,” the letter read in part.

    Capt. Usman, however, wishes to inform the airline that prior to commencement of flight operations, the authority shall carry out a mini audit of the airline to confirm the safety of its operations.

    The NCAA, it was learnt, would inspect the two aircraft and facilities of Discovery Air ahead of commencement of operations.

    The airline’s Chairman, Babatunde Babalola, said arrears of workers’salaries have been paid , even as the airline is having discussions with foreign partners willing to invest over N4billion into the carrier.

    The NCAA had said  it carried out a review of the operations of some domestic airlines after which letters of warning or suspension of AOC were served on defaulters.

    It alleged that Discovery Air failed to carry out   certain corrective actions within one week from the 1st to 7th of January this year  as raised  in an earlier letter to the operator.

    “Consequent upon the inability to address the issues raised, the Authority in its 8th of January, 2015 letter to the operator declared that  pursuant to Section 35[2] and [3][b] of the Civil Aviation  Act  2006 and Part 1.1.3.3.3[a] [1] of the Nig. CARs 2009, hereby suspends  the AOC of Discovery Airways  Limited.

    “The suspension takes effect from the 8th of January 2015, the date of the letter conveying the notice. This order would be in force pending the outcome of a comprehensive review of the Airlines operations to be carried out accordingly.”

    Babalola  said the regulatory agency erred with the suspension of itsAOC following the alleged maltreatment of its passengers last year.