Chinedu Eze
Aviation business stakeholders have recognized shortage of international trade, lack of upkeep facility and flawed plane utilization as elements chargeable for abandonment of plane by Nigerian airways.
The stakeholders spoke in response to assert by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, lately, that Nigeria tops 10 international locations with unserviceable plane.
The minister quoted CH Aviation to have said that regardless of the small fleet Nigerian carriers have, they nonetheless topped the primary 10 international locations with unserviceable plane and attributed it to utilizing previous plane, gear or airplanes not appropriate for the routes they function.
“In response to CH aviation, Nigeria is topping the highest 10 international locations of unserviceable plane. Meaning our plane aren’t being utilised. The staggering determine is 69.23 per cent as of the time the analysis was made, which was at the moment 2021.
“Now, Nigeria is on the prime and within the prime 10, you may have Germany which is 51.2 per cent, it contains UK, Argentina, Malasia and so on. However inside these occasions, the highest most is Nigeria. And the reason being easy, one; they are saying it’s capital, funding, to fund these airways to have the ability to perform properly; to get the supply of funding to have the ability to perform the upkeep as at when due. You may park airplanes in Nigeria on the bottom for an engine change, and it could keep there on the bottom for a lot of months,” the minister stated.
Nonetheless, reacting to the minister’s remark, plane engineer and CEO of Seven Star International Hangar Restricted, Isaac Balami instructed THISDAY, that no airline operator would purchase an airplane and preserve it on floor to rot, saying there are elements chargeable for having Plane on Floor (AOG). He recognized shortage of international trade as considered one of such.
He defined that an plane could have chook strike and desires an engine change however the airline would have the cash in naira and would wait to trade to {dollars} to get the wanted spare, which could preserve the plane on floor so long as the brand new engine shouldn’t be acquired and glued on the gear.
One other issue he identified was airways utilizing flawed gear within the sense that airline operators purchase plane not appropriate for the space of the routes they function, saying this results in underutilisation of the plane, which could demand extra money for upkeep than the cash it’s producing.
Balami additionally identified that Nigeria doesn’t have Upkeep, Overhaul and Restore (MRO) facility that has the capability for main upkeep of plane.
“Airways purchase the flawed plane when it comes to the routes they function. In the event you function the flawed plane, you’ll spend extra money on engine overhaul. In the event you function the correct plane, you could possibly break even with 40 per cent load issue.
“Then with flawed plane you spend extra money on gasoline. The engine rotation won’t be maximized,” Balami stated.
On his half, the CEO/Founder Topbrass Aviation Restricted, Captain Roland Iyayi, additionally instructed THISDAY that to say that Nigeria tops 10 international locations with unserviceable plane have to be barely exaggerated.
In response to him, Nigeria doesn’t have huge fleet to warrant such positioning, saying it’s uncommon for Nigeria to have deserted plane, regardless that prior to now, airways had previous plane which price of upkeep may very well be so big that it might be cheaper to desert it and get one other one.
“I doubt whether or not such is feasible as a result of fleet dimension of Nigerian airways is small. What’s the foundation of the categorisation? I consider that it’s exaggerated. We don’t have that enormous plane in order that statistics is inconceivable. However I is probably not disposed to touch upon what the Minister stated as a result of I don’t know the idea by which Nigeria may very well be stated to prime 10 international locations with unserviceable plane nevertheless it doesn’t sound actual to me,” he stated.
The Managing Director, Flight and Logistics Options Restricted, Amos Akpan instructed THISDAY that the report that Nigeria has highest place with deserted unserviceable plane was a misrepresentation.
“It’s statistically inaccurate to deposit that Nigeria ranks among the many highest place the place unserviceable aero planes are parked. I’d just like the writers of that article to substantiate if they’ve visited Arizona.
“Nigerian operators and regulators are very strict in step with upkeep information and timing on each machine in Nigerian register. How do I do know this? Attempt bringing in a international registered plane to function in Nigeria.
“You will discover it troublesome to maintain up with what’s required by NCAA (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority) when it comes to hours and calendered upkeep program. Most CAAs are extra accommodating (not security lapses) than Nigerian operators,” Akpan stated.
