The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE)

  • NUATE commends airline for recalling 69 disengaged workers

    NUATE commends airline for recalling 69 disengaged workers

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees ( NUATE ) on Friday commended the management of Aero Contractors Limited for recalling 69 workers earlier declared redundant by the airline.

    Mr Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary, NUATE, made this known in Lagos that the unions in the aviation sector were impressed by the efforts of the Aero management to reposition the airline.

    Abioye confirmed that 41 of the recalled workers were members of NUATE while the others belonged to the Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria ( ATSSSAN ) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE ).

    He noted that the airline, under the management of Capt. Ado Sanusi, was being revived gradually after being taken over by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria ( AMCON ) due to its huge debt profile.

    According to him, when Sanusi came on board, over 600 Aero workers were declared redundant in March 2017 as a way of keeping the airline afloat, despite opposition from the unions.

    Abioye said the management had, however, continued to forge ahead, culminating in the recent successful conduct of C-Check on Boeing B737-500 at the airline’s maintenance facility at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    He said that based on this, the management had started recalling some of the disengaged workers to the delight of the unions.

    “The management, in its wisdom and which we appreciate, have decided that those who are currently on contract will be reintegrated into the system as if they have never been declared redundant.

    “The second leg of that is that a sizeable number of those still outside will be recalled, and by March, another sizeable number will be recalled.

    “This tentatively means that over two-third of the disengaged workers would have been recalled into Aero, which is a good one for us,” Abioye said.

    He said the unions and the management would continue to work together as responsible social partners to stabilise and sustain Aero Contractors, so that the airline could reclaim its rightful place as the number one domestic airline.

    NAN

  • AIB boss urge pilots, others to be professional in their duties

    AIB boss urge pilots, others to be professional in their duties

    Mr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau ( AIB ), has  emphasised the need  for members of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE ) to discharge their duties professionally.

    The commissioner’s call is in a statement by Mr Tunji Oketunbi, the Head, Public Affairs, AIB, on Sunday in Lagos.

    Oketunbi stated that the commissioner made the call when a delegation of NAAPE, led by its President, Mr Abednego Galadima, paid a courtesy visit to Olateru at the AIB headquarters.

    Olateru said the Nigerian aviation industry would experience more growth and safe flight operations if aircraft engineers and pilots in various organisations displayed professionalism in carrying out  their responsibilities.

    He lauded NAAPE for the pragmatic approach  in dealing with managements of various organisations in the industry, noting that the attitude had brought stability to the sector and enjoined them to continue  in the same manner.

    The commissioner said “there is no organisation without workers and if there is no organisation, there will be no workers. Your association has demonstrated enough professionalism.

    “It is not about money. For some unions, it is for the highest bidders, but you have been consistent with the truth.

    “Without NAAPE, there is no aviation. NAAPE is the most important union in the industry. I am not, however, saying that other unions are not important but everything surrounds aircraft. If there is no aircraft, there is no aviation.

    “NAAPE comes first in the industry. So, I will want you to urge your members to be more professional in the discharge of their duties.”

    Commenting on the release of accident reports by the bureau, Olateru observed that none of its reports had been faulted by any individual or organisation in recent times.

    He attributed this to the new approach by the current management, which removed accident reports from the apron string of individuals to collective contributions.

    He explained that because of the quality of work done by investigators, no engine or aircraft manufacturer had faulted the reports of the agency on aircraft incident or accident.

    “The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, recently told me not to rush reports that could be faulted by anyone.

    “So, I took time to go through the process to show him that our reports can’t be faulted. Our reports are not done individually again.

    “We now have groups comprising experienced and inexperienced investigators. No one personalises reports again. And after the groups have finished their work with the draft reports, we send them to stakeholders for comments and observations.

    “On getting feed backs, we now do a general review, which involves virtually all the investigators, before it goes out for proof reading,”he said.

    Olateru noted that aviation industry anywhere in the world was technical and volatile, stressing that whatever developments that took place in other sectors also affect aviation industry.

    He pointed out  that the minister  was working with Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) to ensure that interest rate on loans obtained by investors in the sector was not more than nine per cent, which would go a long way in improving standards in the sector.

    Olateru emphasised that it required expertise for an investor to run an airline business successfully and enjoined investors in the sub-sector to allow proven professionals to run the businesses.

    In his remarks, Galadima commended Olateru for bringing stability to AIB within a short period of time.

    He promised that the association would work with the management, especially in the area of accident prevention and would sensitise members on non-hazard and violation according to Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO ).

    He added that “we want to see that the industry grows. We are here to see that aviation in Nigeria grows and gets a win-win for employees and employers.

    “We recognise that AIB has paucity of funds, but despite this, the bureau has been paying the licence fee to NAAPE members in the agency.

    “I will also use this opportunity to call for the release of promotion letters to our members in your organisation as the year is running out. Also, I seek proper placement as it affects our members. We will support you, but as friends, we will also tell you the truth.”

  • Aviation unions disrupt Arik Air operations 

    Aviation unions disrupt Arik Air operations 

    … As management vows to take measures against illegal interference

     

     

    Three aviation unions comprising of United Labour Congress (ULC), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) on Thursday disrupted the operations of Arik Air.

    The union members arrived the headquarters of the airline as early as 4.00 am to literally to ground the operations of the airline.

    The union members carried out the picketing exercise despite   heavy police presence barricading entrance into the headquarters of the airline.

    A source hinted that under the instruction of the United Labour Congress, oil marketers were directed not to supply Jet A1 (Aviation fuel) to the airline as part of measures to press home their demands.

    The unions are picketing operations of the troubled Arik Air over the failure of the airline’s management to re-instate sacked union leaders and several other issues in the airline.

    Meanwhile, new management of Arik Air has threatened to take every legal measure at its disposal to stop any illegal interference on its operations.

    The new management of Arik Air while condemning the picketing of the airline, by the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE),  Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and  National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE),   described it as illegal.

    A statement by the media consultant to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON on Arik Air, Simon Tumba stated that the motive of the picketing is unclear to management as the action of the unions is illegal.

    In his words: “It has come to the attention of the Arik Management, (under Receivership), that the Lagos State branch of National Union of Air Transport Employees  (NUATE),  Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and  National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE)  has directed their members to picket Arik airline.

    We hasten to say that the motive of this picketing is unclear to Management and their action is therefore illegal”.

    Tumba explained further that: “It is a well-known fact that Arik is under Receivership following various challenges experienced over the last few years, which include delays and cancellations of flights, delays in payment of salaries and huge debts to trade creditors and suppliers, bad corporate governance and a host of others”.

    According to Tumba “In exercise of its statutory powers under the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) act a Receiver was appointed over the affairs of Arik Air on February 6, 2017. With the assistance of AMCON, salaries are being paid including backlogs, on time performance has improved from 15 percent to average of 80percent and fuel suppliers that hitherto quit doing business with Arik are happily doing business with the airline.

    “For the record, the management had engaged with its staff and is convinced that there is no reason to picket our airline, which is facing challenging times.

    “The focus of the Arik Air management is to stabilise the operations of the airline and enhance its ability to play a positive role in Nigeria’s aviation industry. Therefore the Management of the airline advises the unions to steer clear from undermining the operations of Arik Air. Management would take every legal measure at its disposal to stop any illegal interference with its operations.”

     

     

  • NAAPE to float new airline – Balami

    NAAPE to float new airline – Balami

    Mr Isaac Balami, President, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), says the association is considering floating its airline to address the challenge of unemployment among its members.

    Balami made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

    He said the national executive of the association had constituted a committee with the aim of setting up a carrier as the members were the ones flying and maintaining the aircraft.

    According to him, what is happening is that, we have lost confidence in most of the employers within the industry, even though; some of them are trying their best.

    “Some are doing very well, but I think since we are the ones that fly and maintain these aircraft, the national leadership of NAAPE has given me the mandate to set up a committee.

    “We might float our own airline very soon so that we can engage ourselves, maintain ourselves and operate because we cannot continue like this,  this is the only industry we know.

    “We have been doing a lot of work so that we can come up with our own airline because we believe we cannot be held hostage in our own industry.

    “There are airlines that have not paid us for the past five to six months because the money that the airlines are making cannot run the airline.’’

    Balami, however, called on the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the airlines to flourish and in turn create jobs for the industry and boost the economy.

    He said that the government had not been giving support to the industry to enable Nigerian airlines to compete favourably with their international competitors.

    According to him, until the government wakes up and do the needful, create the enabling environment, even if you float a new national carrier with 200 brand new aircraft, it will go down.

    “The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) confirms that refineries at Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt can produce aviation fuel at N50 per litre but currently, we are paying N200.

    “ Before Aero went down, it was flying seven aircraft with eight million tonnes of fuel every month and if we were getting fuel at N50 as against N200 per litre, Aero would not have gone down.

    “It is the government’s responsibility to stimulate the economy, create jobs and support the airlines so that they would continue to fly passengers across.’’

    The NAAPE president said that the nation’s aviation industry had recorded tremendous progress in spite of the many challenges facing the sector.

    He applauded all the aviation agencies over the Category One recertification of the nation’s airports, saying that countries like India and Pakistan had lost their Category One Certification.

    According to him, Nigeria is able to score over 90 per cent in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit even in the face of funding and others challenges.

    “All I am saying is that we also need the support of the government for the operators so that everybody can play his or her part in moving the sector forward and compete globally,’’ he said.

    On the face-off between the union and Bristow Helicopter over the sack of its members, Balami said the airline was expected to recall all the 21 sacked staff before the weekend.

    He explained that the union would still shut down the operation of the company if it failed to recall its members.