The Nigerian Aviation Professionals Association (NAPA), on Wednesday backed the directive by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that domestic airlines must install devices that could detect faulty equipment on flying or stationary aircraft.
Alhaji Abdulrasak Seidu, NAPA’s Secretary General, gave the position of the association while speaking with aviation correspondents in Ikeja.
He said that the directive would enhance the safety of passengers and the aviation sector.
Seidu urged the domestic airline operators to abide by the regulatory body’s directive so that the aviation sector in Nigeria would be on the same standard with that of their counterparts in other parts of the world.
He recalled that the operators? had attended different NCAA programmes where dos and don’ts were launched for airlines and passengers and were informed of steps to take in case of challenges.
“Those acquiring new aircraft have the device fitted by the manufacturers for safety; if domestic airlines in Nigeria cannot afford new aircraft, they should upgrade the ones they have with modern security devices,’’ he said.
Seidu said that the NCAA was being magnanimous in giving the airlines a six-month period of grace to pay the first instalment of US $60, 000.00 for the device.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dr Harold Demuren, Director-General of NCAA, had on Nov. 13, said a six-month ultimatum was given to domestic airlines to install the Aircraft Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) on their aircraft or face sanctions.
Demuren said that the device, on board the aircraft, would assist both the NCAA and airline operators to detect any defective equipment on the them and effect repairs before they got out of hand.
He had explained that each of the airline operators would have to install AFIRS, which is a safety device, with an initial payment of US$60,000.00 (N9.5 million), while the balance would be spread over a period of two years.
The NCAA? chief said that the equipment was available at the organisation’s headquarters.
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