Government’s directive that airlines flying within and into Nigeria should engage indigenous pilots has received kudos from operators. They however differ on its implementation, reports, Kelvin Osa-Okunbor
The directive, last week, by the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, that airlines flying within and into Nigeria should engage indigenous pilots may have brought some relief to the growing number of unemployed Nigerian pilots. But while this directive has also received the nod of airline operators, they have expressed concerns on how the directive will be implemented.
Experience
One reason aviation experts have adduced for the implementation diffculty is hinged on the concerns over the quality of training acquired by some of the unemployed local pilots. Besides, some of these pilots are said not to have the requisite flying hours to handle commercial aircraft used by most of the operating airlines. From investigations, airlines are favourably disposed to hiring pilots that have between 1,000 and 1,500 flight-hours experience for obvious reasons of safety of passengers and also their aircraft. For a young pilot that has just graduated from the training school either locally or internationally, he would have only acquired between 250 and 500 flight-hours. Hence, a reason why foreign pilots dominate the cockpit of domestic airlines.
Yet, operators also expressed concern that the most of the unemployed pilots are not rated on the type of aircraft in their fleet.
Technicalities as a barrier
Some experts have attributed the high number of foreign pilots to the conditions attached to acquisition of aircraft, especially those carrying foreign registration and those acquired on wet-lease basis.
Under the wet – lease arrangement, the aircraft carries the registration of the aircraft owner, usually foreign based. Also, under this arrangement, the aircraft ownere provides the aircraft crew, especially pilots, and is responsible for the maintenance of the aircraft. This explains why there is a preponderance of expatriate pilots from Eastern Europe and Asia.
Government intervention
According to statistics, over 65 per cent of pilots flying in Nigeria are foreigners, even as over 327 unemployed pilots are said to have registered with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA) for possible job placement. This includes the over 100 graduates pilots from the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Experts are of the opinion that given the salaries paid expatriate pilots, if 300 young Nigerian pilots are engaged through the implementation of the policy, this could save as much as $96million annually for the payment of salaries and other expenses on foreign pilots.
The NCAA, industry sources hinted, is working with the Ministry of Aviation and the Presidential Adviser on Aviation Matters on the timeline for implementing the policy.
A list of young unemployed pilots it was learnt, is being complied by the NCAA for negotiation with both foreign and domestic as well as private/chartered operators.
This is aside the 66 pilots trained under the Presidential Amnesty Programme for youths from the Niger Delta region.
Apart from that, the 327 young pilots registered by the Nigerian Professionals Pilots Association( NPP), another 100 young pilots sponsored by the Kano State Government are on the verge of completing their training at the Jordanian Aviation Academy. Scores are also undergoing pilots’ training under the sponsorship of the Kaduna State Government NCAT.
Airline operators say it costs huge sum to employ foreign pilots because of their experience, type rating on aircraft, accommodation, security and other bills, including six return tickets annually.
While some airline operators describe the policy as good for the development of local content, others say government should exercise caution in its implementation because most of the indigenous pilots do not have the requisite flying experience to command flights.
Some experts have complained over huge capital flight out of the country on account of the invasion of foreign pilots of the Nigerian airspace.
Support
Despite the huge cost of expatriate pilots to airlines, operators remain divided over the implementation of the policy which is due for implementation on July 1, 2015.
However, support for the policy has come from the Chairman of Air Peace, Chief Allen Onyema, who described it as a move that would create jobs for Nigerians. He is convinced that the engagement of Nigerian pilots by airlines would reduce the huge cost spent by airlines on foreign crew as well as develop local capacity.
He however said there could be exception to the rule, because not all Nigerian pilots are rated in some aircraft type flown by foreign pilots.
He said airlines that have mostly Nigerian pilots would save huge sums of money, as airlines would not be required to provide them accommodation, security, telephone bills and return tickets six times in a year as they provide for foreign pilots .
Onyema said experience has shown that the quality of training of pilots is a strong criteria that many operators consider when they are engaging crew members.
Onyema said as much as airline owners would like to assist in the development of local capacity by engaging Nigerian pilots, no aircraft owner would spend as much as $50 million to buy an aircraft and give it to an inexperienced pilot to fly.
“I am totally in support of the directive by government for airline owners to engage Nigerian pilots in their cockpit. This is one policy of government that would create jobs for our teeming unemployed pilots.
“This is good because no economy can develop by dependence on foreign input , including foreign crew on board our aircraft.
“We need to start developing out people. When you create job for a Nigerian pilot by extension, you have created opportunity for the industry to grow. It is a good policy, however we must also make sure that there are qualified pilots.
“For instance, in Air Peace, we have some DORNIER Jets in our fleet, if you go round the whole country and you cannot find any pilot rated on how to fly such an aircraft, in that kind of situation, you do not expect an airline to abide by the government directive. In our inability to find a Nigerian pilots, we will get a foreign pilot. As airline operators, we know government means well, but for every rule, there is an exception.”
He explained that when government issued the directive, he knew there would be some exceptions to the rule “it is not a blanket directive, it is a policy geared towards promoting job creation in the country.
Onyema said the directive is gradually being implemented in Air Peace, saying any where we find qualified Nigerian pilots, “we employ them,” but quicly added that you don’t expect any airline to employ a Nigerian rookie pilot to become a captain in its fleet just because you want to comply with the directive on engagement of local pilots. But, if nobody gives young pilots the opportunity to be tested they would not attain the required flying hours.
But, employing younger pilots comes with additional responsibility. This is because these pilots bang your airplanes on the runway during landing. Anytime, these young pilots land the aircraft, they bang it on the runway very hard and you will see the difference. This hard landing has effects on the aircraft , its wear and tear when you take the aircraft for major maintenance repairs like the C- check. Such hard landings tells a lot on the aircraft. These are the issues. If you employ a foreign pilot you pay him about $18,000 per month , accommodation, security , proved six return tickets. They work for six months, six weeks in and six weeks out. You provide the vehicles, Internet facilities, six return tickets in one year. He works for only six months and you are paying for one year salaries. That is why we must support this policy of government.
Similarly, the executive chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria ( AON), Captain Nogie Meggison described the policy as the best for the industry because it would create an opportunity for over 327 Nigerian young pilots to be engaged by both foreign and local airlines.
Meggison said such policy is already in place in other countries, which he listed to include: Brazil, India, China and Egypt.
He said the policy would be cheaper for Nigerian airlines, which spend huge sums on foreign pilots.
He said: “It is only logical and mutually benefitting and makes more sense when any airline operating and taking off from the country creates avenues to create jobs for the people. It is not a novel idea that Nigeria is standing alone to say that any cockpit operator or anybody flying in Nigeria is expected to take Nigerians in the cockpit. This will create jobs and take people off the streets.”
Also, the Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, also described the policy as a good development for the aviation industry. He commended government for the directive to airlines to engage Nigeria trained pilots adding that human capacity development is key to the growth and sustenance of aviation. He said domestic carriers will continue to engage Nigerian pilots, berating foreign carriers for engaging in capital flight without giving anything back for the development of the nation’s aviation sector.
He said: “I think it is a good initiative for all airlines to engage Nigerian pilots in their cockpit.
Government must ensure the implementation of this directive. At Medview we will definitely engage and train more Nigerian aviation professionals. This is good for the development of the industry.”
