The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)

  • Domestic airlines to instal safety gadgets in aircraft

    Domestic airlines to instal safety gadgets in aircraft

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given domestic airlines a six- months ultimatum to install the newest safety gadget- Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) in their aircraft or face severe sanctions.

    The Director-General, NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren, gave the directive yesterday in Lagos at the ongoing Airbus Industry workshop training for indigenous airline operators.

    He said airline operators were interested in installing the equipment in their airplanes, adding that it cost NCAA about $30,000 to acquire and install the equipment in its headquarters in Lagos.

    He said it would cost them more, but they could pay installmentally to the manufacturer of the equipment after the initial payment of about $60,000 per aircraft.

    He said: “I think we are giving them six months to install the gadgets in their airplanes. We need to give them time. It is not a thing you can do in one day. After that, no aeroplane would operate in the public category carrying passengers, or for hire.

    “Any snag would be detected automatically. Every one of them wants to do it. Look, if you think this is expensive, go and try accident. It is the latest in the world. You know we have been complaining that pilots don’t record snags in their logbooks, but this automatically records everything. You can’t hide or change it. Everyone would have it; the airline and even the NCAA,”he stated.

  • Customers besiege Air Nigeria Abuja office for refunds

    Some customers yesterday besieged the office of Air Nigeria in Abuja to demand the refund of the money they spent in buying flight tickets they did not utilise.

    The development is as a result of the suspension of its operation by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) since June due to lack of maintenance.

    Consequently, the Chairman of the airline, Mr Jimoh Ibrahim, shut down the company for one year with effect from September 10, and sacked 550 members of staff, while retaining 50.

    According to News Agency of Nigeria, some of the customers said the management of the airline is yet to refund their money and that they were asked to contact the head office of the airline in Lagos.

    One of the affected customers, Olumuyiwa Okunade said he has been to the Abuja office on several occasions for the refund of his money.

    He said

    the few workers he met at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, refused to pay attention to his complaints.

    Another customer, Chief Chinyere Anyamele, said a notice on the door directed complainants to Air Nigeria’s head office, adding that it would cost more money to get to Lagos.

    “Is the airline indirectly telling us to forfeit our money? It is not easy for someone who bought an air ticket in Abuja to travel down to Lagos for a refund.

    “The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the NCAA should do something about this,” she said.

    Mr Ambros Dickson said: “I am not a Nigerian, but I use the airline because of its name, thinking that it is better. But now, I can see that they are all the same,’’ he said.

    Pastor Sola Ogunmodimu, another customer, described the development as fraudulent.

    “It is a fraudulent act. Even before now, the airline was not treating passengers rightly. It is not customer’s fault that the airline failed in its operations.

    “After sacking the workers, they are also suposed to attend to the customers whom they have collected airfares from.

     

    “I am here again today to check if I will meet anybody. I have gone to their office at Transcorp, but they kept directing me to their head office,” Ogunmodimu said.

     

    NAN also recalls that the chairman of the airline also announced the suspension of its local, regional and international flights based on what he described as “disloyalty of its staff”.

     

    In a statement, the chairman said it was difficult to continue further investment in the carrier with the high level of staff disloyalty and weak business environment.

     

    Ibrahim, in the statement, said 50 loyal members of staff had been selected with a mandate to recommence business within 12 months.