The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NCAA

  • Ebola: Nigeria not considering closing borders

    Ebola: Nigeria not considering closing borders

    •Forbids airlines from flying in bodies of dead victims

    Nigeria is not considering closing its border against neighboring countries as a means of containing the spread of Ebola Virus Disease,  the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu has said.

    Chukwu who spoke in Abuja yesterday however said that Nigerian government through the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has directed   Airlines not to bring back dead bodies from the three Ebola highly burden countries.

    He stressed that anybody that dies of the disease outside the country should be buried there and not to be brought back home.

    The minister also said Government agencies at the borders have  been directed to ensure proper checks to ensure that bodies of victims of the virus are not allowed in.

    He said,  ‘We will not close our border. We still maintain that for now, we are not doing that for a number of reasons but if it becomes necessary, we will do that. We are screening everybody coming through our border for now.”

    He however stressed, “Regarding the issue of surveillance at the borders, again, those of you who might have found out what is going on at the points of entry at the Muritala Muhammed Airport and Nnamdi Azikwwe International Airport, our land crossing at Idiroko, and also the land crossing at Seme which are very popular land crossings for passengers coming from the ECOWAS countries; you will find out that the Port Health Service has actually strengthened its screening there, and people are being screened through infrared, they screen without having to touch any passenger and the agencies there are working together.

    “We have also advised Customs through the coordinating minister of the economy and Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that through our land borders, Customs should not allow corpses to be brought into the country. So, these are newer directives that have emanated and we have given them through the appropriate ministers.”

    On the directives issued to airlines, the minister said, “”We have also issued directives through the appropriate ministers and to all airlines that they should not bring back corpses from the three countries where we have the greatest number of cases. They should not bring back dead bodies except where it is clear on the death certificate that it is not Ebola. So, cases where they are Ebola or nobody knows the case of the death, no airline will bring them whether private airline or commercial airline will bring them into the country. The minister of Aviation is taking care of that.”

    Speaking on the cases of dead bodies that were said to have been brought from some of those countries and which caused panick in some states, precisely Anambra,  Akwa-Ibom and Imo, Onyebuchi said “people panicked because they didn’t seem to know some of the cause, we have been working with various states government where such reports have been made.

    He explained that in the  Anambra case; the team from the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control has already visited on Friday and the samples have been taken and hopefully result will come out today and then, we will take it from there.

    “The one that was reported from Imo state, we have investigated and that one actually had a medical certificate of death issued by the hospital that treated her for over three weeks in Liberia, so, we know the cause of death and it is not Ebola. So, we have directed through the commissioner for health, Imo state that they can proceed to bury since that is not a case of Ebola Virus disease.

    “We have also sent the team to Akwa-Ibom to look at the case that was brought to our attention and they will also carry out necessary investigation and we would tell you as soon as the outcome of the investigation is out.

    So, we want you to know that we are actually working tirelessly to ensure that we contain this disease and everything that needs to be done, we will do as far as relevant agencies are concerned.”

  • Ebola: ASKY Airlines resumes flight operations

    Ebola: ASKY Airlines resumes flight operations

    A SKY Airlines is set to resume daily flight operations into Nigeria.

    The resumption of flight operations is predicated on the satisfactory report the airline submitted to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The report contained documentary evidence indicating a clear road map on all measures taken to prevent the spread of Ebola.

    The airline yesterday held series of meetings with health experts and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on how to prevent the spread of Ebola.

    The letter from NCAA clearing ASKY Airlines to resume operations reads in part: “ Having carefully examined these measures put in place by your airline especially the suspension of flights into Ebola infected countries, the Management of NCAA has lifted the temporary suspension placed on your flight into and out of Nigeria.”

    The Commercial Director of ASKY Airlines, Mr. Nowel Ngala, who was present in Lagos, expressed delight  that the airlines was finally handed the right to continue flying into Nigeria.

    He stated that the Nigerian market is critical to the airlines’ daily services and ensures Nigeria is well connected to West and Central African markets and the rest of the world from Lome – Togo together with its strategic partner Ethiopian Airlines.

    He said:” We are very much aware of all the inconvenience this has caused to our dear customers and the travel public at large, especially those who had commenced their journey before the suspension was imposed.

    “We continue to hold our numerous customers within and outside Nigeria in high esteem with products and services that are targeted to make their travel experience a memorable one.”

    He urged customers to quickly get in touch with their local travel agencies and ASKY offices to reconfirm their tickets and/or get further information to reschedule their trips.

  • NCAA suspends ASKY Airlines operations

    NCAA suspends ASKY Airlines operations

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended yesterday all ASky Airline operations to Nigeria.

    A statement by NCAA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke, said the suspension took immediate effect.

    According to him, NCAA Acting Director-General, Mr. Benedict Adeyileka explained that the regulatory authority had to take the action to protect Nigerians from the Ebola virus.

    ASky Airline is a major player in the West, East and Central Africa operating 80 flights into Lagos and Abuja weekly.

    The Airline flew the Liberian who was obviously infected with the virus, into Lagos.

    The NCAA DG said, “The passenger has since died and the Country Manager of ASky was invited to the Aviation House to offer explanation to the Authority on the incident and show evidence of actions taken by  the airline since the pandemic in their core areas of operation and after.

    “The Airline representative could not offer any conclusive or substantial evidence neither did he demonstrate any capacity to be able to prevent a re-occurrence or possibly ship loading Ebola victims to Nigeria.

    “This is contrary to the provision of Article 14 of the Chicago Convention,1944, which states that “Each contracting State agrees to take effective measures to prevent the spread by means of air navigation, of cholera, typhus (epidemic),smallpox, yellow fever, plague and such other communicable diseases as the contracting state shall from time to time decide to designate.”

    The statement added that Adeliyeka said the International Civil Aviation Organisation has similarly prescribed measures (Standard Practices) in Annex 9 to the Convention which a state must take to prevent the spread of communicable disease in the event of an outbreak.

    “The Acting Director General and the top management of NCAA therefore decided that the lives of millions of Nigerians were too precious to be risked on a platter of negligence of an airline.

    “The Airline operations was therefore suspended with immediate effect until it is able to sufficiently and evidently prove that adequate machinery is in place to provide adequate screening of passengers in all their points of operation including profiling of each passenger,” it said.

    The statement added that the Authority will also write to other airlines operating into and out of Nigeria to ensure they put in place all necessary preventive measures during screening of passengers which will include indicating countries earlier visited by the passengers.

    Arik Air which had earlier suspended flights to Monrovia and Freetown was advised to maintain the cessation of flights until cleared by the NCAA.

  • Concern over DG of NCAA

    A new organisation in the aviation sector, Practitioners of Human Resource in Aviation (PHRA),  has said avaition workers are worried over the non-confirmation of the director-general (DG) designate for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Mukthar Usman.

    In a  statement signed  by its coordinator in Lagos, Comrade Solomon Eki Ohiomah noted that the NCAA director-general  designate Captain Usman  and the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) Mr  Godwin Emefiele were both nominated by the president about  the same time.

    According to him aviation stakeholders are  not comfortable with the delay in confirming Captain Usman.

    He said the CBN governor was screened and confirmed within 90 days, whereas  the  approval of the director- general  designate of the NCAA is  still pending.

    The delay in the confirmation of the NCAA director general designate, he said is not in the best interest of the country.

    Ohiomah called on the Senate to hasten the confirmation of the substantive director general  of  NCAA as  regulatory body  in aviation.

    He said: “There is rumour by  some spine doctors alluding to a non existing petitions by some former  Nigeria Airways workers against the nomination of Capt. Usman Mukthar, which to us  is  baseless.

    Even if such petitions exist, the author should forward those petitions to the Senate instead of blackmail”

    He disclosed that  investigations reveal  that the presidential nominee for the director general of  NCAA indicate that he has cognate experience to head NCAA professionally as a trained pilot.

    He said:  “He  has  good safety records with the then Nigeria Airways and also worked with the aviation ministry before heading the Accident Investigation/Prevention Bureau AIPB as a commissioner with high sense of professional conduct.”

    The body urged the government to  address the concern of the workers  raised by the Air Transport Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) in the appointment of a substantive director general for NCAA  in accordance with the 2006 Nigeria Civil Aviation Act.

  • NCAA clamps down on illegal structures on flight paths

    NCAA clamps down on illegal structures on flight paths

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will soon clamp down on unauthorised high-rise buildings erected on flight paths in the nation’s airspace, it has been learnt.

    The structures include telecommunications masts, towers and tall buildings built without the agency’s aviation height clearance.

    NCAA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr Fan Ndubuoke, said the agency would take the action to ensure that there is sufficient safety for aircraft when they want to land.

    The spokesman said NCAA’s investigations showed that the structures were constituting obstacles to the take-off and landing of aircraft.

    To prevent an avoidable occurrence, the regulatory authority has appointed Messrs Noon Mast Ventures Nigeria Limited to identify such structures near airports and pull them down from flight paths, he said.

    NCAA’s regulation stipulates that those who are compelled by whatever reason to erect a mast or high-rise structure near the airport or on flight paths should obtain NCAA’s Aviation Height Clearance.

    Ndubuoke said: “Once this request is made, the department in charge will proceed for inspection and give approval for an allowable safety height or will be advised to relocate the structure, where applicable.”

     

    “The firm has, therefore, been mandated to embark on countrywide surveillance, demand NCAA’s certificate of clearance as a condition for verification from owners of existing structures and, where this is nonexistent, they will be pulled down instantly.

    “While owners are advised to cooperate with them, it is important to note that all violators will bear the cost of pulling down the structure, if the need arises.

    “This action is to further strengthen our regulatory resolve to ensure safety and security of air transport in Nigeria. It is pertinent to point out that violations will be viewed seriously by the authority.”

     

     

     

  • NCAA clamps down on illegal structures

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has concluded plans to clamp down on all unauthorized high rise structures erected on flight paths across the nation’s airspace

    The structures include telecommunications masts, towers and high rise buildings built without obtaining aviation height clearance from the NCAA.

    According to the General Manager, Public Affairs for NCAA, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke , the authority is embarking on the  action to ensure the  safety of all aircraft at our various airports in the country.

    Ndubuoke said investigations by the NCAA revealed that the structures constitute obstacle to approach and descent to the airports for aircraft.

    To prevent any untoward consequences, the regulatory authority, he said  has  appointed Messrs Noon Mast Ventures Nigeria Limited to commence a nationwide identification of such erections and  pull down all such illegal structures within the airport environment and along the flight paths.

    According to NCAA’s regulation, those who are compelled by whatever reason to erect a mast or high rise structure within the airport environment and along flight paths are required to contact NCAA to obtain the appropriate Aviation Height Clearance.

     

  • Intrigues over confirmation of NCAA DG-designate

    KEY aviation stakeholders are divided over the confirmation of the Director General designate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Murktar Usman.

    Usman was nominated for the post five months ago following the sack of the former helmsman, Captain Folayele Akinkuotu.

    Members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) threatened to ground operations in the sector if the nomination is further delayed.

    But the Aviation Network International (AN1) dismissed the threat as unacceptable, saying it is not in the overall interest of the sector.

    It was also gathered that some former workers of Nigeria Airways have written petitions against the nomination of Captain Usman.

    Usman was the former commissioner of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB).

    The petitioners allegedly questioned Usman’s capability as a pilot in command, it also emerged.

    Investigations revealed that the delay in confirmation of Captain Usman is predicated on a petition by a governor in the South West, querying the circumstances under which Captain Fola Akinkuotu was removed from office as NCAA boss.

    ATSSSAN expressed worry over the non- confirmation of Usman.

    It issued a 21-day ultimatum to the National Assembly to act, failure of which it would halt activities in the sector.

    In a petition to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Ayim Pius Ayim, dated June 18 and signed by Captain Tar Tanongo, Deputy National Secretary of ATSSSAN, the association said the appointment of a substantive director general for NCAA is dragging too long.

    The association said as much as nature does not abhor vacuum with an acting director general appointed, it warned that the Civil Aviation Act does not recognise such arrangement of  ‘acting capacity’.

    But ANI’s president, Mr. Thompson Obafemi, said the union’s role in a civil society is not to usurp the responsibility of elected leaders by unfairly twisting government’s arms to dictate implementation of government policies or functions.

    After the presidential nomination of a director general designate for NCAA, it is left for the Senate to delay, deny or approve confirmation of relevant executive officers, Obafemi said.

    He warned that aviation unions or associations have no business in such process.

    According to him: “There’s no vacuum caused by having an acting director general in place in NCAA.

    “In fact, the acting director general, Engineer Benedict Adeyileka, is a consummate and accomplished professional with vast multi jurisdictional international experience of the industry, well respected by his peers and operators, and has brought stability in regulating the sector.”

    A source close to Usman said:” There is a process of appointing the director general of NCAA. The civil aviation act is very clear on the process.

    “And I believe the process is going on. I believe government is doing what is supposed to be done.”

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Act 2006 stipulates that a director general be appointed but does not state whether this should be in acting or substantive capacity.

  • NCAA urges domestic operators to train pilots, aircraft engineers

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), has urged domestic airline operators to invest in the training of pilots and engineers, as well as other industry professionals .

    The   Acting Director-General of NCAA, Benedict Adeyileka who made the call, said it is only such investment that would enhance indigenous capacity in the sector.

    He told The Nation that a situation in which most of the airlines have foreign flight crew because indigenous professionals do not posses the requisite experience and training to close the manpower gap in the industry, is undermining the growth of the aviation industry .

    He said the criteria placed by some domestic operators to engage young pilots is too high to attract some category of pilots, who are yet to get enough flying hours to be in command of an aircraft .

    He said the over 500 flying  hours set by a certain operator to engage pilots is too high, even as he urged the affected carrier to review the flying limit so as to give room for budding pilots .

    Adeyileka,  said the NCAA will convoke a meeting with domestic operators to consider ways of engaging young indigenous pilots , so as to reduce pilot unemployment in Nigeria .

    He said there are over 300 unemployed pilots who were trained both at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), in Zaria, Kaduna State and other training institutions across the world.

    He explained that on graduation, the  young pilots only acquire  25 flying hours, while most airlines require between 250 to 500 hours to engage some category of pilots .

    Meanwhile, the Managing-Director of Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, Captain Akin Oni, has attributed the pilots predicament inability to pass competence tests, and low quality training from overseas training institutions as part of the reasons why  many indigenous pilots are unable to secure employment in the aviation sector.

    Oni, who spoke last week while unveiling the 20 cadet  helicopter pilots to be sent to the United States by Bristow Helicopters for a one year training at the academy run by the firm in America, said the 20 cadet helicopter pilots trainees would cost the airline over $ 500 million, adding that it costs about $250,000 each  to train  cadet pilot for the one -year ab initio training programme.

    Bristow Helicopters, Oni said  has trained over 300 helicopter pilots in the past thirty years, as part of its capacity building programme  in the aviation sector.

    Oni said Bristow Helicopters will continue to invest in the training of indigenous pilots, as part of its contributions to improve indigenous competence and competitiveness reduce the number of expatriate pilots in its employ.

    He said the airline is carrying out the manpower development programme in compliance with the local content  policy of government meant to create job opportunities for qualified Nigerians to run critical sectors of the economy .

    Oni said airlines  incur more costs to engage foreign pilots, for which they pay more to  guarantee  their security in view of kidnapping, huge costs of accommodations , travel expenses, salaries and other incidentals associated with foreign employees .

    The Bristow Helicopters boss said some of the 20 cadets would spend some time at the Nigerian College Of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna State and the International Aviation College , Ilorin for ground studies and basic flying rules , before they travel to the United States.

  • NAMA workers seek transfer to NCAA

    Workers in the flight calibration unit of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) are seeking transfer  to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    They said  since  the unit  was moved from NCAA to NAMA, the department and their equipment, including the Hawker Siddley 125 aircraft used for flight-checking of navigational aids, have been abandoned due to paucity of funds.

    The workers, who pleaded not to named, said the unit had been abandoned since it was moved to the airspace agency.

    Investigations revealed that the services of the calibration flight unit have been contracted to a private firm.

    Operations at the unit, it was learnt, have remained at a low ebb,  because the internally-generated funds of NAMA  could not pay for the responsibilities handed to it by the NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN).

    The Senate Committee Chairman on Aviation, Hope Uzodima, last week described the unit as prostrate.

    He said the unit, which ought to be used for flight checking of navigational aids, was not functioning as its managers could not justify the huge sums spent to fix its equipment.

    He called for collaboration between two agencies to fix the equipment as the huge sums spent to make its console serviceable have not yielded the desired result.

    In March 2012, NAMA  took over the operations of the Navigational Aids Flight Inspection Surveillance (NAFIS) from the NCAA in line with the Federal Government’s directives.

    Facilities handed over to the agency  included one calibration jet,  hangar and office complex at the local wing of the Murtala  Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to a source,  there is the need to review the revenue sharing formula between the two agencies, considering the additional overhead cost to NAMA on the calibration unit.

    Nigeria still depends on ASECNA, the Senegal-based regional equivalent of NCAA, to have its navigational aids  calibrated.

    NAFIS, the agency saddled with calibrating NAVAIDS, is supposed to ensure frequent realignment of the vertical and horizontal signals from NAVAIDS for accurate navigation. Enroute and terminal or designation NAVAIDS are expected to be calibrated regularly or based on pilots’ reports.

    The handover of the equipment was necessary to flight-check all the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) at the airports, particularly at the Lagos and Abuja airports where the volume of traffic is high.

    The former Managing Director of NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh, said the calibration aircraft during hand-over, helped to diversify its business strategy, adding that it also boosted its revenue base.

    He said: “The HS 125 we inherited from NCAA is fast, but calibration needs a slower aircraft like the one that ASECNA is using. Right now, there is a console that is being fitted into the aircraft, which the NCAA , as I understand, has already paid for.”

    He said other countries had started making contacts with the agency to calibrate their navigational equipment, adding that when the agency takes delivery of the aircraft and start providing services for other countries, it would further boost its revenue.

    His words, “Already, other countries have started calling on us to start this service and calibrate for them. So, it is a worthy venture that NAMA is going into.”

    He said the calibration aircraft  would save the agency over N200 million on the calibration of equipment every six months and generate N500 million in two years.

    Udoh said: “Apart from the savings, we are going to make money. We spend more than N200 million for calibration every six months. Within two years, we will generate over N500 million. As conservative as I want to sound, this is a business that should be encouraged.”

  • NCAA warns airlines over delayed flights

    The  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA)  has read the riot act to domestic airline operators, urging them to avoid delays and cancellation of flights.

    It said it would not grant any approval for deferred  maintenance of aircraft and other infractions, which constitute threats to air safety, adding that it would not hesitate to clamp down on such airlines.

    The Acting Director-General of NCAA, Mr Benedict Adeyileka, said the era in which domestic airlines violated passenger rights through delayed flights and unnecessary cancellation, were over.

    He said airlines must ensure safety, warning that any airline with a poor safety record would be grounded.

    “Any airline that NCAA and its officials cannot fly will not be allowed to operate. Such airlines will be banned.

    “This is the reason all domestic airlines must ensure they have adequate spares for aircraft maintenance, avoid flight delays and unnecessary flight cancellations. The NCAA will not grant any extension for crew licence approvals and aircraft maintenance,” he added.

    He warned against the non-remittance of the five per cent ticket sales charge by domestic carriers to the authority, saying that prompt compliance with such payment would, henceforth, be tied to renewal of crew licences and certificates.

    “Bad planning by any airline does not constitute an emergency for the NCAA. It is for this reason that NCAA has opened lines of communication to resolve all issues that would arise, including safety and consumer protection.

    “What is important is how this process is managed. To keep safer skies operators must continue to pursue safety as a collective responsibility,” said Adeyileka.