WHY SACRIFICE DANA AIR?

The Nigerian aviation industry is befuddled with grim inefficiency and corruption at this moment and Nigerians look up to the President and the National Assembly to cause a far reaching audit of the sector to stave off further wanton waste of air travelers.
While at that, one wonders the crime of DANA Air that has made this young but very efficient airline the sacrificial lamb in the aviation sector. The airline, which has become the preferred airline of most Nigerians for its relatively younger fleet, efficient timing and logistics has been under the hammer for over a month now supposedly for the reason of an impending official audit. I do not contest the right of the NCAA to audit the airlines and their processes from time to time as provided under its statutory powers but suspending the right to fly and do business of an airline almost indefinitely for no just cause or threat smacks of malice, unfairness to business, anti-investment and illegal.
The financial cost of keeping a fleet of aircrafts on the ground is substantial particularly when the airline has not been found wanting in any way. Is there no way a particular suspect aircraft can be grounded rather than ground the whole fleet of an airline? Would the UK CAA ground the whole fleet of Virgin Airline for instance even if one of their aircraft is involved (God forbid) in an aviation incident?
Remember though that there are thousands of Nigerian in the employ of Dana air and it is only reasonable to deduct that these Nigerians will also be suffering from this mindless disruption of the airline’s business.
The call for foreign investment will be meaningless if we cannot even afford the existing local businesses a level playing field, fairness and justice. Let Dana be and abate this wasteful and unjustifiable suspension.


Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi
Tel: 08060934000
pabiekun@yahoo.com
THE LAWTEAM
Western House
Lagos

OTUNBA ABIODUN.ABBEY.OLUFOWOBI
LEGAL PRACTITIONER
PABIEKUN SUITE
WESTERN HOUSE – 14TH FLOOR,
8/10 BROAD STREET,
LAGOS NIGERIA
Tel:234-1-7768288 Mobile: 7768288, 080-6093-4000
E-mail: pabiekun@yahoo.com
Skype ID: omopabiekun

WHY SACRIFICE DANA AIR?

The Nigerian aviation industry is befuddled with grim inefficiency and corruption at this moment and Nigerians look up to the President and the National Assembly to cause a far reaching audit of the sector to stave off further wanton waste of air travelers.
While at that, one wonders the crime of DANA Air that has made this young but very efficient airline the sacrificial lamb in the aviation sector. The airline, which has become the preferred airline of most Nigerians for its relatively younger fleet, efficient timing and logistics has been under the hammer for over a month now supposedly for the reason of an impending official audit. I do not contest the right of the NCAA to audit the airlines and their processes from time to time as provided under its statutory powers but suspending the right to fly and do business of an airline almost indefinitely for no just cause or threat smacks of malice, unfairness to business, anti-investment and illegal.
The financial cost of keeping a fleet of aircrafts on the ground is substantial particularly when the airline has not been found wanting in any way. Is there no way a particular suspect aircraft can be grounded rather than ground the whole fleet of an airline? Would the UK CAA ground the whole fleet of Virgin Airline for instance even if one of their aircraft is involved (God forbid) in an aviation incident?
Remember though that there are thousands of Nigerian in the employ of Dana air and it is only reasonable to deduct that these Nigerians will also be suffering from this mindless disruption of the airline’s business.
The call for foreign investment will be meaningless if we cannot even afford the existing local businesses a level playing field, fairness and justice. Let Dana be and abate this wasteful and unjustifiable suspension.


Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi
Tel: 08060934000
pabiekun@yahoo.com
THE LAWTEAM
Western House
Lagos

OTUNBA ABIODUN.ABBEY.OLUFOWOBI
LEGAL PRACTITIONER
PABIEKUN SUITE
WESTERN HOUSE – 14TH FLOOR,
8/10 BROAD STREET,
LAGOS NIGERIA
Tel:234-1-7768288 Mobile: 7768288, 080-6093-4000
E-mail: pabiekun@yahoo.com
Skype ID: omopabiekun

BY CAPT. DANIEL OMALE

The amoured cars scandal dominated most of the media this week, but the other issues facing aviation sector in this country are equally overwhelming.

First, early last week, Dana Air was indefinitely grounded for mere safety-oriented professional decisions (two aborted trips).

These safety precautions were termed unacceptable by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Early this week, IRS Airlines, Chanchangi, First Nation and Allied Air were also grounded indefinitely for what the NCAA considered a breach of Air Operating Certificate (AOC) agreement.

According to the regulatory agency, an AOC holder must, at all times, have two serviceable airplanes in its fleet.

This is quite contrary to what the Civil Aviation Act 2006 stipulates, the law simply requires that an applicant for an AOC for schedule operation must, at the time of such an application, have two aircraft in its fleet to be included in the operational specification.

There is no mention in the act that an air operator cannot send one of the airplanes for maintenance, while the other is operational, this ambiguity in the interpretation of an AOC's responsibility has given the NCAA absolute power to ground, at will, any airline the agency deems fit to strangulate.

It is unrealistic in every sense of aviation business to halt an airline's operation because the carrier is left with one serviceable airplane, what economic consideration does the NCAA allocate to the owners of the business if their offence is that an airplane, which is due for maintenance, is promptly sent abroad to get repaired or inspected?

Therefore, if one of the two airplanes is grounded due to maintenance, the other aircraft must be grounded by regulatory default?

This callous, barbaric, undue pressure from the NCAA must be explained to all AOC applicants prior to the issuance of such a licence, because I can bet my soul that those who still want to waste their precious, hard-earned money would think twice before investing in aviation in Nigeria.

How can anyone, in his rational state of mind, render his fellow citizens jobless in this economic crunch?

It's really strange that airlines in this country, with huge financial burden be put out of business for such a flimsy reason. It's sad, very sad, that a few kitchen cabinet members of the NCAA would nurse such uneconomical punishment on investors/employers of labour

BY CAPT. DANIEL OMALE

The amoured cars scandal dominated most of the media this week, but the other issues facing aviation sector in this country are equally overwhelming.

First, early last week, Dana Air was indefinitely grounded for mere safety-oriented professional decisions (two aborted trips).

These safety precautions were termed unacceptable by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Early this week, IRS Airlines, Chanchangi, First Nation and Allied Air were also grounded indefinitely for what the NCAA considered a breach of Air Operating Certificate (AOC) agreement.

According to the regulatory agency, an AOC holder must, at all times, have two serviceable airplanes in its fleet.

This is quite contrary to what the Civil Aviation Act 2006 stipulates, the law simply requires that an applicant for an AOC for schedule operation must, at the time of such an application, have two aircraft in its fleet to be included in the operational specification.

There is no mention in the act that an air operator cannot send one of the airplanes for maintenance, while the other is operational, this ambiguity in the interpretation of an AOC's responsibility has given the NCAA absolute power to ground, at will, any airline the agency deems fit to strangulate.

It is unrealistic in every sense of aviation business to halt an airline's operation because the carrier is left with one serviceable airplane, what economic consideration does the NCAA allocate to the owners of the business if their offence is that an airplane, which is due for maintenance, is promptly sent abroad to get repaired or inspected?

Therefore, if one of the two airplanes is grounded due to maintenance, the other aircraft must be grounded by regulatory default?

This callous, barbaric, undue pressure from the NCAA must be explained to all AOC applicants prior to the issuance of such a licence, because I can bet my soul that those who still want to waste their precious, hard-earned money would think twice before investing in aviation in Nigeria.

How can anyone, in his rational state of mind, render his fellow citizens jobless in this economic crunch?

It's really strange that airlines in this country, with huge financial burden be put out of business for such a flimsy reason. It's sad, very sad, that a few kitchen cabinet members of the NCAA would nurse such uneconomical punishment on investors/employers of labour.

Lagos Bound Arik Flight Aborted As Arik Air Plane Develops 'Technical Issue' CHANNELS
A Lagos bound Arik Air flight was aborted on Wednesday night in Abuja when the aircraft allegedly developed technical issues and refused to start. The flight ...
See all stories on this topic »


Lagos Bound Arik Flight Aborted As Plane Develops ‘Technical Issue’
Posted by: Channels Television Posted date: October 24, 2013 In: Local | comment : 2

A Lagos bound Arik Air flight was aborted on Wednesday night in Abuja when the aircraft allegedly developed technical issues and refused to start.
The flight, which was to transport passenger from the local wing of the Abuja airport to the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, was scheduled for 7pm but was delayed till about 8pm.
According to one of the intending travelers, Dominic, who spoke to Channels Television, “the passengers had checked in and were about boarding the aircraft when some people noticed the pilot was having issues in his seat.
“After a few minutes, a member of the Arik team announced to us in front of the airplane that there was a technical issue” and so they would have to wait for another aircraft from Lagos, to ferry them to their destination.

“So we had to wait another 1 hour and a few minutes for the arrival of another plane.”
Following the series of air mishaps and accidents which have occurred in the Nigerian airspace, including the Akure bound Associated Airline plane which crashed on October 3rd but not before giving the pilot warning signals.
The passengers finally arrived in Lagos at about 12 midnight on another aircraft.

Note: KABO,CHANCHANGI,IRS AND DANA AIR WERE GROUNDED FOR SIMILAR REASONS TOO....which brings me to these many questions: is this audit thing a witch-hunting exercise? is this audit thing a ploy to kill some airlines for the national carrier? is the NCAA afraid of a particular airline called Arik? was the technical issue not enough for them to be grounded? They have been experiencing air returns which is a safety precautionary measure, but when Dana Air and IRS had theirs, it became a big issue! These airlines including kabo and chanchangi are presently grounded, why is ARIK not grounded? NCAA please save us na? or is it the car scandal that is taking NCAA’S minds off their duties? Or is it that they are busy looking for ways to cover the minster’s mess while Arik is busy toying with our lives? Are they not aware that tickets have gone up as high as 39k? is the audit of Dana Air,KABO,CHANCHANGI and IRS going to take eternity? Is it that some airlines have permission to experience technical issues and toy with people’s lives? is this audit thing not supposed to be a general thing? Too many unanswered questions!

The other day the NAFDAC DG complained about this airline when he was travelling with some ministers. The same airline delayed ma elder bro in London for 6 hours over technical issues! This airline is reputed for long delays without apology.

My brothers no airline is safe, na God hand our safety dey oooo! If you think NCAA is working, then you better have a rethink, because this agency is only good at buying bullet-proof cars for madam at the top and giving some airlines liberty to toy with precious lives!

Nonsense!

Lagos Bound Arik Flight Aborted As Arik Air Plane Develops 'Technical Issue' CHANNELS
A Lagos bound Arik Air flight was aborted on Wednesday night in Abuja when the aircraft allegedly developed technical issues and refused to start. The flight ...
See all stories on this topic »


Lagos Bound Arik Flight Aborted As Plane Develops ‘Technical Issue’
Posted by: Channels Television Posted date: October 24, 2013 In: Local | comment : 2

A Lagos bound Arik Air flight was aborted on Wednesday night in Abuja when the aircraft allegedly developed technical issues and refused to start.
The flight, which was to transport passenger from the local wing of the Abuja airport to the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, was scheduled for 7pm but was delayed till about 8pm.
According to one of the intending travelers, Dominic, who spoke to Channels Television, “the passengers had checked in and were about boarding the aircraft when some people noticed the pilot was having issues in his seat.
“After a few minutes, a member of the Arik team announced to us in front of the airplane that there was a technical issue” and so they would have to wait for another aircraft from Lagos, to ferry them to their destination.

“So we had to wait another 1 hour and a few minutes for the arrival of another plane.”
Following the series of air mishaps and accidents which have occurred in the Nigerian airspace, including the Akure bound Associated Airline plane which crashed on October 3rd but not before giving the pilot warning signals.
The passengers finally arrived in Lagos at about 12 midnight on another aircraft.

Note: KABO,CHANCHANGI,IRS AND DANA AIR WERE GROUNDED FOR SIMILAR REASONS TOO....which brings me to these many questions: is this audit thing a witch-hunting exercise? is this audit thing a ploy to kill some airlines for the national carrier? is the NCAA afraid of a particular airline called Arik? was the technical issue not enough for them to be grounded? They have been experiencing air returns which is a safety precautionary measure, but when Dana Air and IRS had theirs, it became a big issue! These airlines including kabo and chanchangi are presently grounded, why is ARIK not grounded? NCAA please save us na? or is it the car scandal that is taking NCAA’S minds off their duties? Or is it that they are busy looking for ways to cover the minster’s mess while Arik is busy toying with our lives? Are they not aware that tickets have gone up as high as 39k? is the audit of Dana Air,KABO,CHANCHANGI and IRS going to take eternity? Is it that some airlines have permission to experience technical issues and toy with people’s lives? is this audit thing not supposed to be a general thing? Too many unanswered questions!

The other day the NAFDAC DG complained about this airline when he was travelling with some ministers. The same airline delayed ma elder bro in London for 6 hours over technical issues! This airline is reputed for long delays without apology.

My brothers no airline is safe, na God hand our safety dey oooo! If you think NCAA is working, then you better have a rethink, because this agency is only good at buying bullet-proof cars for madam at the top and giving some airlines liberty to toy with precious lives!

Nonsense!

NAFDAC DG, Ministers escape air crash ...BusinessDay


⁠October 23, 2013 | ⁠Filed under: main story | ⁠Author: ODINAKA ANUDU


Nigeria’s Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Paul Botwev Orhii and some ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Wednesday escaped an air disaster that would have thrown the entire nation into another round of mourning.

The DG of NAFDAC and some ministers boarded a Arik Air Lagos-bound aircraft in Abuja, when at the point of departure the pilot suddenly announced that there were some technical hitches that would prevent take-off. The officials of the undisclosed aviation company provided another aircraft which could not take off at departure time due technical problems.

The top government officials were forced to contact the embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Odua, who then ordered that another aircraft be provided for them. However, at the point of departure, for the third time, the pilot told the already exhausted government officials that the technical snags on the third aircraft were worse than those of the previous two inoperative aircraft.

The NAFDAC DG Paul Orhii told this mind-boggling story himself on Wednesday at an interactive session between him and operators of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) at the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce ad Industry(LCCI) Conference and Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The DG told the story while explaining to stakeholders in commerce and industry, the reason for his late arrival at the session. The event was expected to begin at 10.30 am but BusinessDay checks showed the DG arrived at the venue few minutes before 1 pm.

‘’Please I want to start by apologising for being late. It is not in the character of NAFDAC to come late to events. What happened was that our first flight was about to take-off but the pilot suddenly announced that there was a slight problem.

‘’We boarded another aircraft. The door was closed and we were about to take-off. But the pilot also said there was a problem with the flight. I was with some ministers.

We disembarked but they said they were bringing another aircraft, but we asked them not to bother.

‘’Incidentally I called the Minister of Aviation who now asked them to provide another aircraft for us. But the door of the third aircraft was closed and our seat belts were already fastened when the pilot said the problem in that one was worse than the problems of the other two,’’ narrated Paul Orhii.

Note: This story reinforces the worries of stakeholders and Nigerians that the country’s aviation sector needs total overhaul.

⁠


NAFDAC DG, Ministers escape air crash ...BusinessDay


⁠October 23, 2013 | ⁠Filed under: main story | ⁠Author: ODINAKA ANUDU



Nigeria’s Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Paul Botwev Orhii and some ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Wednesday escaped an air disaster that would have thrown the entire nation into another round of mourning.

The DG of NAFDAC and some ministers boarded a Arik Air Lagos-bound aircraft in Abuja, when at the point of departure the pilot suddenly announced that there were some technical hitches that would prevent take-off. The officials of the undisclosed aviation company provided another aircraft which could not take off at departure time due technical problems.

The top government officials were forced to contact the embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Odua, who then ordered that another aircraft be provided for them. However, at the point of departure, for the third time, the pilot told the already exhausted government officials that the technical snags on the third aircraft were worse than those of the previous two inoperative aircraft.

The NAFDAC DG Paul Orhii told this mind-boggling story himself on Wednesday at an interactive session between him and operators of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) at the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce ad Industry(LCCI) Conference and Exhibition Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

The DG told the story while explaining to stakeholders in commerce and industry, the reason for his late arrival at the session. The event was expected to begin at 10.30 am but BusinessDay checks showed the DG arrived at the venue few minutes before 1 pm.

‘’Please I want to start by apologizing for being late. It is not in the character of NAFDAC to come late to events. What happened was that our first flight was about to take-off but the pilot suddenly announced that there was a slight problem.

‘’We boarded another aircraft. The door was closed and we were about to take-off. But the pilot also said there was a problem with the flight. I was with some ministers.

We disembarked but they said they were bringing another aircraft, but we asked them not to bother.

‘’Incidentally I called the Minister of Aviation who now asked them to provide another aircraft for us. But the door of the third aircraft was closed and our seat belts were already fastened when the pilot said the problem in that one was worse than the problems of the other two,’’ narrated Paul Orhii.

Note: This story reinforces the worries of stakeholders and Nigerians that the country’s aviation sector needs total overhaul.

Aero as Nigeria’s Flag Carrier?

If the news making the round that Aero Contractors is set to be named Nigeria’s ‘National Carrier’ is true then the aviation industry is in the precipice for bigger crises.

According to recent reports, to pave way for Aero’s emergence as the nation’s flag career, AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) is currently undertaking a valuation of Air Nigeria assets, which would be concluded in the next 30 days, following which they will be offered to Aero Contractors to expand its operations. This has got to be a very bad joke!

Before I even get into the criteria upon which the choice of Aero as national carrier might have been based, may I ask ‘which Air Nigeria asset is AMCON valuing?’ Is it the same asset that has reportedly been sold to new airline, Discovery Air, by ruthless businessman and serial airline killer, Jimoh Ibrahim? This government is definitely clueless about the business of aviation!

Just so you appreciate why this news (if true) is unsettling, aviation reporter with Thisday newspaper, Chinedu Eze, explains, in simple terms, the concept of a national carrier and the perks the airline so designated would enjoy in his report published in the October 21 edition of the publication:

“As a national carrier, Aero Contractors is expected to enjoy preferential rights or privileges accorded by the federal government for international operations. It would hold some lucrative routes in monopoly, negotiate commercial agreements, pools and bilateral agreements with foreign airlines, articulate manpower training for the sector and serve as diplomatic tool for Nigeria.

“Designating Aero Contractors as the national carrier would also allow the airline to code-share with other international airlines, as this would improve Nigeria’s ability to take advantage of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) it has in place with other countries.”

While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the concept of a national carrier (as many countries the world over boast of one) the rationale behind the emergence of Aero as Nigeria’s flag carrier is questionable. The argument that the airline may have been selected for the role because of AMCON’s 60 per cent stake in it just doesn’t suffice!

As far as I know, Legacy Holdings, a company owned by the super rich Ibru family, will hold a 40 per cent stake in the national carrier and, just as Jimoh Ibrahim did with the finances of defunct Air Nigeria, will continue to enrich themselves with the connivance of corrupt government officials, at the expense of Nigerians.

Reports also have it that there is a plan to offload 10 per cent of the designated national carrier to a facilitator suspected to be a top government official in the aviation sector. What do we call this? Another avenue for more ‘over-inflated’ bullet-proof cars and luxury jets to be bought with public funds, for private use?

Granted, other airlines have debts too with Arik the largest debtor by miles (the airline owes AMCON up to N180bn, and doesn't pay a kobo to them. It also owes about N10bn to NCAA and FAAN not to mention its debt to numerous other suppliers). But is Aero the best Nigerians deserve given its fleet size, age of its aircraft, quality of service, management style e.t.c?

Talking about fleet size, Aero has 16 aircraft (mostly Boeing 737s) with an average age of 22yrs while Overland has 6 ATR aircraft; Dana Air 5 Boeing MD83s; IRS 5 Fokker 100s; and Medview 3 Boeing 737s, all of similar age as Aero’s. Only Arik has more aircraft (a total of 22 comprising Boeing 737s and Airbuses) with average age less than 7years.

On quality of in-flight service/customer service, Dana Air ranks highest while Medview follows; Aero and Arik sit at the bottom in this area. This is also the picture when it comes to corporate governance and effective management of the airlines.

Putting all of the above into consideration, one wonders what sets Aero apart from other operators to merit the national carrier status? Based on financial health, equipment and performance is it not also puzzling that some airlines are allowed to fly while others remain grounded? Or does the NCAA have a different yardstick for airlines operating in the country?

If there were any doubts regarding the theories that the selective grounding of smaller airlines like Dana Air, IRS and Chachangi is a calculated attempt to kill these airlines and pave way for madam Minister’s planned ‘national carrier’ then the latest news about Aero, in spite of the mismanagement and huge debt profile of its promoters, confirms the conspiracy by the powerful oligarchs and conniving politicians to continue to rob Nigerians, unabatedly!

As I stated in my earlier article, the potential in Nigeria’s aviation industry is huge but, to turn this immense potential into real prosperity and progress for our country, we must begin to do things the right way, leaving sentiments and personal interests aside.

The aviation industry is a highly technical and professional sector, and full compliance with standard procedures and regulation must be ensured. Airline operators must become more accountable and aviation agencies more thorough and professional in their oversight function and provision of statutory services, divorced from all political interests.

Emeka Gbulie, an Investment Advisor, writes from Lagos

Aero as Nigeria’s Flag Carrier?

If the news making the round that Aero Contractors is set to be named Nigeria’s ‘National Carrier’ is true then the aviation industry is in the precipice for bigger crises.

According to recent reports, to pave way for Aero’s emergence as the nation’s flag career, AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) is currently undertaking a valuation of Air Nigeria assets, which would be concluded in the next 30 days, following which they will be offered to Aero Contractors to expand its operations. This has got to be a very bad joke!

Before I even get into the criteria upon which the choice of Aero as national carrier might have been based, may I ask ‘which Air Nigeria asset is AMCON valuing?’ Is it the same asset that has reportedly been sold to new airline, Discovery Air, by ruthless businessman and serial airline killer, Jimoh Ibrahim? This government is definitely clueless about the business of aviation!

Just so you appreciate why this news (if true) is unsettling, aviation reporter with Thisday newspaper, Chinedu Eze, explains, in simple terms, the concept of a national carrier and the perks the airline so designated would enjoy in his report published in the October 21 edition of the publication:

“As a national carrier, Aero Contractors is expected to enjoy preferential rights or privileges accorded by the federal government for international operations. It would hold some lucrative routes in monopoly, negotiate commercial agreements, pools and bilateral agreements with foreign airlines, articulate manpower training for the sector and serve as diplomatic tool for Nigeria.

“Designating Aero Contractors as the national carrier would also allow the airline to code-share with other international airlines, as this would improve Nigeria’s ability to take advantage of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) it has in place with other countries.”

While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the concept of a national carrier (as many countries the world over boast of one) the rationale behind the emergence of Aero as Nigeria’s flag carrier is questionable. The argument that the airline may have been selected for the role because of AMCON’s 60 per cent stake in it just doesn’t suffice!

As far as I know, Legacy Holdings, a company owned by the super rich Ibru family, will hold a 40 per cent stake in the national carrier and, just as Jimoh Ibrahim did with the finances of defunct Air Nigeria, will continue to enrich themselves with the connivance of corrupt government officials, at the expense of Nigerians.

Reports also have it that there is a plan to offload 10 per cent of the designated national carrier to a facilitator suspected to be a top government official in the aviation sector. What do we call this? Another avenue for more ‘over-inflated’ bullet-proof cars and luxury jets to be bought with public funds, for private use?

Granted, other airlines have debts too with Arik the largest debtor by miles (the airline owes AMCON up to N180bn, and doesn't pay a kobo to them. It also owes about N10bn to NCAA and FAAN not to mention its debt to numerous other suppliers). But is Aero the best Nigerians deserve given its fleet size, age of its aircraft, quality of service, management style e.t.c?

Talking about fleet size, Aero has 16 aircraft (mostly Boeing 737s) with an average age of 22yrs while Overland has 6 ATR aircraft; Dana Air 5 Boeing MD83s; IRS 5 Fokker 100s; and Medview 3 Boeing 737s, all of similar age as Aero’s. Only Arik has more aircraft (a total of 22 comprising Boeing 737s and Airbuses) with average age less than 7years.

On quality of in-flight service/customer service, Dana Air ranks highest while Medview follows; Aero and Arik sit at the bottom in this area. This is also the picture when it comes to corporate governance and effective management of the airlines.

Putting all of the above into consideration, one wonders what sets Aero apart from other operators to merit the national carrier status? Based on financial health, equipment and performance is it not also puzzling that some airlines are allowed to fly while others remain grounded? Or does the NCAA have a different yardstick for airlines operating in the country?

If there were any doubts regarding the theories that the selective grounding of smaller airlines like Dana Air, IRS and Chachangi is a calculated attempt to kill these airlines and pave way for madam Minister’s planned ‘national carrier’ then the latest news about Aero, in spite of the mismanagement and huge debt profile of its promoters, confirms the conspiracy by the powerful oligarchs and conniving politicians to continue to rob Nigerians, unabatedly!

As I stated in my earlier article, the potential in Nigeria’s aviation industry is huge but, to turn this immense potential into real prosperity and progress for our country, we must begin to do things the right way, leaving sentiments and personal interests aside.

The aviation industry is a highly technical and professional sector, and full compliance with standard procedures and regulation must be ensured. Airline operators must become more accountable and aviation agencies more thorough and professional in their oversight function and provision of statutory services, divorced from all political interests.

Emeka Gbulie, an Investment Advisor, writes from Lagos

NIGERIAN AVIATION: BETWEEN STELLA ODUAH AND ALUU 4

On October 5, 2012, four promising students of the University of Port Harcourt (popularly referred to as the Aluu 4) were brutally murdered in Aluu – a community in Rivers State. Someone had raised a false alarm that the students were thieves and, before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’, they were lynched by a blood-thirsty mob; beaten to stupor before eventually being burnt to death.

The case of the Aluu 4, thanks to a video of the killing which went viral, forcefully drove home the reality of the age-long ‘Jungle Justice’ trend which had hitherto received little or no attention in the media space. As a matter of fact, many of us had become accustomed to seeing other humans unjustly murdered in like manner as the Aluu 4 in so far as they were ‘guilty’ of the ‘alleged’ crime.
Sadly, the Jungle justice mentality is now so deeply entrenched in the Nigerian society, pervading virtually every area of our business, communal and inter-personal relationships. And we have, knowingly or unknowingly, become cheerleaders in this theatre of the absurd.

The recent grounding of the operations of Dana Air by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, without recourse to standard aviation guidelines, is an example of this deep-rooted phenomenon, and this is not the first time such an action has been taken against a legitimate business concern based on false alarm and frivolous claims.
Earlier this year, the carrier was handed a similar suspension order by the NCAA based on a directive from the Minister: On ground Abuja, an aircraft boarded with Lagos-bound passengers developed a snag. The pilot, during his pre-start checks, noticed that the airplane battery was under charging, even when an engineer attempted to rectify the problem.
The captain humbly explained the situation to his passengers and called for a replacement aircraft from Lagos which eventually ferried the passengers to Lagos uneventfully. Later that day, the airline was grounded for ‘safety reasons’. Apparently, one of the Minister’s friends had called her to complain that the aircraft's engine was faulty and could not start.
This is what is very scary in the aviation business. Anyone can call the Minister and, without due diligence by the appropriate authority, a suspension order would be issued. Of course, in that particular case, the airline was not found to have violated any safety regulation and was cleared to fly two days after. However, a wrong signal had been sent to the travelling public about the safety of the airline’s operations as a result of the Minister’s frenzied action.
As has been confirmed by several aviation experts, if the reason alluded to the October 6, 2013 grounding of the Dana Air by the authorities is true then the Nigerian aviation industry is in a deeper mess than we think. According to some media reports, the grounding of the operations of the airline is based on an Air Return it made on October 6, 2013. This is very flimsy in every sense of professional aviation!

Whatever the reason for the air return, the airline’s crew must be commended for their professionalism. Air Returns are not uncommon in the aviation industry as they are initiated as a safety precautionary measure in line with international best practice. As a matter of fact, virtually all airlines, local and international, have had cases of Air Returns due technical and non-technical reasons.

The standard practice is for the NCAA to ground the particular aircraft (not the entire airline) until the issues reported have been rectified and the aircraft certified fit to fly. It is illegal to ground the entire operations of an airline on the basis of an air return. Otherwise, no airline in Nigeria would be flying today as all of them have had air returns due a number of reasons.
Should the Minister and the NCAA continue to act in such erratic manner whenever an airline makes an air return, what signal would they be sending to the airline operators and pilots? To carry on with the journey to destination when, as it sometimes happens, they develop a snag after take-off for fear of being grounded if they return to base? Does this action not portend greater danger for us all?
Obviously dancing to the tune of the Minister, the NCAA Director-General has said that Dana Air was grounded to allow for ‘an audit of the operations of the airline’. But do you really need to ground the entire operations of an airline before carrying out an audit? Will other airlines be grounded for the same audit process? Surely, the selective action (Jungle Justice) meted to Dana Air raises more questions than answers.
While the efforts of Princess Stella Oduah to remodel our old and dilapidated airport terminals is very commendable, her overbearing influence on all the aviation agencies including the NCAA which is supposed to be autonomous as established in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is less than desirable. Undue ministerial authority and absolute draconian policies are a direct threat to the safety of our airspace.

The NCAA must be allowed to carry out its oversight functions without fear or favour. Its leadership must rise up to the challenge and prove to Nigerians that our airlines are safe by ensuring that the planned audit of all airlines operating locally is dispassionate.
In the case of Dana Air which remains unjustly grounded, the NCAA must prove itself to be fair by commencing the audit as quickly as possible. Besides loss in revenue to the airline, all the Nigerian employees and their dependants risk losing their means of livelihood. The action also sends wrong signals to potential investors in the sector.
Finally, the aviation industry is a highly technical and regulated sector, and the actions of the authorities cannot be based on sentiments or hearsay but on facts and standard procedures. We must not allow jungle justice to prevail; for jungle justice is a travesty of justice.

Edet Akpan – an Engineer – writes from Lagos.

NIGERIAN AVIATION: BETWEEN STELLA ODUAH AND ALUU 4

On October 5, 2012, four promising students of the University of Port Harcourt (popularly referred to as the Aluu 4) were brutally murdered in Aluu – a community in Rivers State. Someone had raised a false alarm that the students were thieves and, before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’, they were lynched by a blood-thirsty mob; beaten to stupor before eventually being burnt to death.

The case of the Aluu 4, thanks to a video of the killing which went viral, forcefully drove home the reality of the age-long ‘Jungle Justice’ trend which had hitherto received little or no attention in the media space. As a matter of fact, many of us had become accustomed to seeing other humans unjustly murdered in like manner as the Aluu 4 in so far as they were ‘guilty’ of the ‘alleged’ crime.
Sadly, the Jungle justice mentality is now so deeply entrenched in the Nigerian society, pervading virtually every area of our business, communal and inter-personal relationships. And we have, knowingly or unknowingly, become cheerleaders in this theatre of the absurd.

The recent grounding of the operations of Dana Air by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, without recourse to standard aviation guidelines, is an example of this deep-rooted phenomenon, and this is not the first time such an action has been taken against a legitimate business concern based on false alarm and frivolous claims.
Earlier this year, the carrier was handed a similar suspension order by the NCAA based on a directive from the Minister: On ground Abuja, an aircraft boarded with Lagos-bound passengers developed a snag. The pilot, during his pre-start checks, noticed that the airplane battery was under charging, even when an engineer attempted to rectify the problem.
The captain humbly explained the situation to his passengers and called for a replacement aircraft from Lagos which eventually ferried the passengers to Lagos uneventfully. Later that day, the airline was grounded for ‘safety reasons’. Apparently, one of the Minister’s friends had called her to complain that the aircraft's engine was faulty and could not start.
This is what is very scary in the aviation business. Anyone can call the Minister and, without due diligence by the appropriate authority, a suspension order would be issued. Of course, in that particular case, the airline was not found to have violated any safety regulation and was cleared to fly two days after. However, a wrong signal had been sent to the travelling public about the safety of the airline’s operations as a result of the Minister’s frenzied action.
As has been confirmed by several aviation experts, if the reason alluded to the October 6, 2013 grounding of the Dana Air by the authorities is true then the Nigerian aviation industry is in a deeper mess than we think. According to some media reports, the grounding of the operations of the airline is based on an Air Return it made on October 6, 2013. This is very flimsy in every sense of professional aviation!

Whatever the reason for the air return, the airline’s crew must be commended for their professionalism. Air Returns are not uncommon in the aviation industry as they are initiated as a safety precautionary measure in line with international best practice. As a matter of fact, virtually all airlines, local and international, have had cases of Air Returns due technical and non-technical reasons.

The standard practice is for the NCAA to ground the particular aircraft (not the entire airline) until the issues reported have been rectified and the aircraft certified fit to fly. It is illegal to ground the entire operations of an airline on the basis of an air return. Otherwise, no airline in Nigeria would be flying today as all of them have had air returns due a number of reasons.
Should the Minister and the NCAA continue to act in such erratic manner whenever an airline makes an air return, what signal would they be sending to the airline operators and pilots? To carry on with the journey to destination when, as it sometimes happens, they develop a snag after take-off for fear of being grounded if they return to base? Does this action not portend greater danger for us all?
Obviously dancing to the tune of the Minister, the NCAA Director-General has said that Dana Air was grounded to allow for ‘an audit of the operations of the airline’. But do you really need to ground the entire operations of an airline before carrying out an audit? Will other airlines be grounded for the same audit process? Surely, the selective action (Jungle Justice) meted to Dana Air raises more questions than answers.
While the efforts of Princess Stella Oduah to remodel our old and dilapidated airport terminals is very commendable, her overbearing influence on all the aviation agencies including the NCAA which is supposed to be autonomous as established in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is less than desirable. Undue ministerial authority and absolute draconian policies are a direct threat to the safety of our airspace.

The NCAA must be allowed to carry out its oversight functions without fear or favour. Its leadership must rise up to the challenge and prove to Nigerians that our airlines are safe by ensuring that the planned audit of all airlines operating locally is dispassionate.
In the case of Dana Air which remains unjustly grounded, the NCAA must prove itself to be fair by commencing the audit as quickly as possible. Besides loss in revenue to the airline, all the Nigerian employees and their dependants risk losing their means of livelihood. The action also sends wrong signals to potential investors in the sector.
Finally, the aviation industry is a highly technical and regulated sector, and the actions of the authorities cannot be based on sentiments or hearsay but on facts and standard procedures. We must not allow jungle justice to prevail; for jungle justice is a travesty of justice.

Edet Akpan – an Engineer – writes from Lagos.

NIGERIAN AVIATION: BETWEEN STELLA ODUAH AND ALUU 4

On October 5, 2012, four promising students of the University of Port Harcourt (popularly referred to as the Aluu 4) were brutally murdered in Aluu – a community in Rivers State. Someone had raised a false alarm that the students were thieves and, before you could say ‘Jack Robinson’, they were lynched by a blood-thirsty mob; beaten to stupor before eventually being burnt to death.

The case of the Aluu 4, thanks to a video of the killing which went viral, forcefully drove home the reality of the age-long ‘Jungle Justice’ trend which had hitherto received little or no attention in the media space. As a matter of fact, many of us had become accustomed to seeing other humans unjustly murdered in like manner as the Aluu 4 in so far as they were ‘guilty’ of the ‘alleged’ crime.
Sadly, the Jungle justice mentality is now so deeply entrenched in the Nigerian society, pervading virtually every area of our business, communal and inter-personal relationships. And we have, knowingly or unknowingly, become cheerleaders in this theatre of the absurd.

The recent grounding of the operations of Dana Air by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, without recourse to standard aviation guidelines, is an example of this deep-rooted phenomenon, and this is not the first time such an action has been taken against a legitimate business concern based on false alarm and frivolous claims.
Earlier this year, the carrier was handed a similar suspension order by the NCAA based on a directive from the Minister: On ground Abuja, an aircraft boarded with Lagos-bound passengers developed a snag. The pilot, during his pre-start checks, noticed that the airplane battery was under charging, even when an engineer attempted to rectify the problem.
The captain humbly explained the situation to his passengers and called for a replacement aircraft from Lagos which eventually ferried the passengers to Lagos uneventfully. Later that day, the airline was grounded for ‘safety reasons’. Apparently, one of the Minister’s friends had called her to complain that the aircraft's engine was faulty and could not start.
This is what is very scary in the aviation business. Anyone can call the Minister and, without due diligence by the appropriate authority, a suspension order would be issued. Of course, in that particular case, the airline was not found to have violated any safety regulation and was cleared to fly two days after. However, a wrong signal had been sent to the travelling public about the safety of the airline’s operations as a result of the Minister’s frenzied action.
As has been confirmed by several aviation experts, if the reason alluded to the October 6, 2013 grounding of the Dana Air by the authorities is true then the Nigerian aviation industry is in a deeper mess than we think. According to some media reports, the grounding of the operations of the airline is based on an Air Return it made on October 6, 2013. This is very flimsy in every sense of professional aviation!

Whatever the reason for the air return, the airline’s crew must be commended for their professionalism. Air Returns are not uncommon in the aviation industry as they are initiated as a safety precautionary measure in line with international best practice. As a matter of fact, virtually all airlines, local and international, have had cases of Air Returns due technical and non-technical reasons.

The standard practice is for the NCAA to ground the particular aircraft (not the entire airline) until the issues reported have been rectified and the aircraft certified fit to fly. It is illegal to ground the entire operations of an airline on the basis of an air return. Otherwise, no airline in Nigeria would be flying today as all of them have had air returns due a number of reasons.
Should the Minister and the NCAA continue to act in such erratic manner whenever an airline makes an air return, what signal would they be sending to the airline operators and pilots? To carry on with the journey to destination when, as it sometimes happens, they develop a snag after take-off for fear of being grounded if they return to base? Does this action not portend greater danger for us all?
Obviously dancing to the tune of the Minister, the NCAA Director-General has said that Dana Air was grounded to allow for ‘an audit of the operations of the airline’. But do you really need to ground the entire operations of an airline before carrying out an audit? Will other airlines be grounded for the same audit process? Surely, the selective action (Jungle Justice) meted to Dana Air raises more questions than answers.
While the efforts of Princess Stella Oduah to remodel our old and dilapidated airport terminals is very commendable, her overbearing influence on all the aviation agencies including the NCAA which is supposed to be autonomous as established in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is less than desirable. Undue ministerial authority and absolute draconian policies are a direct threat to the safety of our airspace.

The NCAA must be allowed to carry out its oversight functions without fear or favour. Its leadership must rise up to the challenge and prove to Nigerians that our airlines are safe by ensuring that the planned audit of all airlines operating locally is dispassionate.
In the case of Dana Air which remains unjustly grounded, the NCAA must prove itself to be fair by commencing the audit as quickly as possible. Besides loss in revenue to the airline, all the Nigerian employees and their dependants risk losing their means of livelihood. The action also sends wrong signals to potential investors in the sector.
Finally, the aviation industry is a highly technical and regulated sector, and the actions of the authorities cannot be based on sentiments or hearsay but on facts and standard procedures. We must not allow jungle justice to prevail; for jungle justice is a travesty of justice.

Edet Akpan – an Engineer – writes from Lagos.

By Emeka Gbulie

“May day, May day” seems to be the alarm sounding in the Nigerian aviation industry today and you do not have to be a genius to understand why this is so. In categorical terms, our aviation agencies and airlines are in dire financial distress!

The worry over Nigeria’s aviation sector is not restricted to Nigeria and Nigerians alone; the international community is also concerned, as financial institutions, international lenders and potential investors now view the sector with caution. And would anyone blame them?
Reports from reliable sources within the financial sector show that Nigeria’s largest carrier, Arik Air, is hugely indebted to Government-backed "bad bank" AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) to the tune of N180bn, and doesn't pay a kobo to them.
This sum is apart from the N10bn it owes to NCAA and FAAN.
Earlier this year, aviation unions had shut down the airline’s operations to draw attention to its financial state and one wonders why the ‘chronic defaulters’ have not undergone any form of audit by the regulatory agency? Or is Arik’s owner, Chief Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, more powerful than the aviation agencies and the Government?
Aero Contractors, the oldest airline in the country, was bailed out N100bn; N40bn from CBN/BOI PAIF Intervention Funds and N60bn from AMCON. Its promoters, the super-rich Ibru family (who also own deluxe hotels and newspapers) siphoned all this money.
Why is there no National Assembly investigation on them like they did with Jimoh Ibrahim's defunct Air Nigeria? Aero now belongs to the state but the young Managing Director, Ibru, is allowed to continue to squander their finances and stays at home all week?
First Nation is former Bellview Airline which has large old debts and has not paid insurance claim but is allowed to fly because Tinubu and Stella have a stake in it?
Is there a deliberate attempt by these powerful oligarchs to shut down small airlines like IRS, Chanchangi and Dana Air in order to continue to rob Nigerians of billions of naira unabatedly? Or is the selective action of the NCAA a calculated move to kill these airlines and pave way for the ‘National Airline’ which Madam Minister has a stake in?
As is typical of thieving Nigerian politicians and political office holders, of course she will buy more N150m bullet-proof cars as well as more $30m private jets paid for by NCAA to pay for her lavish lifestyle which she is now enjoying. If she refuses to resign following the countless allegations of financial misappropriation, reckless embezzlement and gross abuse of office, should she not be relieved of her ministerial position?
Where is Overland Airways in this entire aviation crisis? What does its owner do besides sitting in Minister's office every day telling her what to do? And the NCAA? How autonomous are they? Or is the current Director General, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, the new puppy of Madam Minister and ‘Yes man’ in NCAA?
In a country that is relatively rich from oil revenues but whose population suffers widespread poverty due to endemic governmental corruption and the severe stratification of wealth, many citizens are not surprised that the aviation industry, like most other sectors of the economy, is in shambles.
Urgent action must be taken to correct the many ills in the sector and set the industry on the path to recovery and prosperity. Without a doubt, the Nigerian aviation industry portends huge potential for the nations GDP; Proper funding, effective policy implementation and supervision are critical to fully harness this potential.
Also necessary are more standardized programs for airline staff training, modernization of local airports, increased maintenance surveys of aircraft and stronger efforts to divorce governmental oversight agencies from political interests.

Emeka Gbulie, an Investment Advisor, writes from Lagos.

Nigerian Aviation Sector in Financial Turbulence


By Emeka Gbulie

“May day, May day” seems to be the alarm sounding in the Nigerian aviation industry today and you do not have to be a genius to understand why this is so. In categorical terms, our aviation agencies and airlines are in dire financial distress!

The worry over Nigeria’s aviation sector is not restricted to Nigeria and Nigerians alone; the international community is also concerned, as financial institutions, international lenders and potential investors now view the sector with caution. And would anyone blame them?
Reports from reliable sources within the financial sector show that Nigeria’s largest carrier, Arik Air, is hugely indebted to Government-backed "bad bank" AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) to the tune of N180bn, and doesn't pay a kobo to them.
This sum is apart from the N10bn it owes to NCAA and FAAN.
Earlier this year, aviation unions had shut down the airline’s operations to draw attention to its financial state and one wonders why the ‘chronic defaulters’ have not undergone any form of audit by the regulatory agency? Or is Arik’s owner, Chief Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, more powerful than the aviation agencies and the Government?

Aero Contractors, the oldest airline in the country, was bailed out N100bn; N40bn from CBN/BOI PAIF Intervention Funds and N60bn from AMCON. Its promoters, the super-rich Ibru family (who also own deluxe hotels and newspapers) siphoned all this money.
Why is there no National Assembly investigation on them like they did with Jimoh Ibrahim's defunct Air Nigeria? Aero now belongs to the state but the young Managing Director, Ibru, is allowed to continue to squander their finances and stays at home all week?
First Nation is former Bellview Airline which has large old debts and has not paid insurance claim but is allowed to fly because Tinubu and Stella have a stake in it?

Is there a deliberate attempt by these powerful oligarchs to shut down small airlines like IRS, Chanchangi and Dana Air in order to continue to rob Nigerians of billions of naira unabatedly? Or is the selective action of the NCAA a calculated move to kill these airlines and pave way for the ‘National Airline’ which Madam Minister has a stake in?
As is typical of thieving Nigerian politicians and political office holders, of course she will buy more N150m bullet-proof cars as well as more $30m private jets paid for by NCAA to pay for her lavish lifestyle which she is now enjoying. If she refuses to resign following the countless allegations of financial misappropriation, reckless embezzlement and gross abuse of office, should she not be relieved of her ministerial position?
Where is Overland Airways in this entire aviation crisis? What does its owner do besides sitting in Minister's office every day telling her what to do? And the NCAA? How autonomous are they? Or is the current Director General, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, the new puppy of Madam Minister and ‘Yes man’ in NCAA?

In a country that is relatively rich from oil revenues but whose population suffers widespread poverty due to endemic governmental corruption and the severe stratification of wealth, many citizens are not surprised that the aviation industry, like most other sectors of the economy, is in shambles.
Urgent action must be taken to correct the many ills in the sector and set the industry on the path to recovery and prosperity. Without a doubt, the Nigerian aviation industry portends huge potential for the nations GDP; Proper funding, effective policy implementation and supervision are critical to fully harness this potential.
Also necessary are more standardized programs for airline staff training, modernization of local airports, increased maintenance surveys of aircraft and stronger efforts to divorce governmental oversight agencies from political interests.

Emeka Gbulie, an Investment Advisor, writes from Lagos.

By Emeka Gbulie

“May day, May day” seems to be the alarm sounding in the Nigerian aviation industry today and you do not have to be a genius to understand why this is so. In categorical terms, our aviation agencies and airlines are in dire financial distress!

The worry over Nigeria’s aviation sector is not restricted to Nigeria and Nigerians alone; the international community is also concerned, as financial institutions, international lenders and potential investors now view the sector with caution. And would anyone blame them?
Reports from reliable sources within the financial sector show that Nigeria’s largest carrier, Arik Air, is hugely indebted to Government-backed "bad bank" AMCON (Asset Management Company of Nigeria) to the tune of N180bn, and doesn't pay a kobo to them.
This sum is apart from the N10bn it owes to NCAA and FAAN.

Earlier this year, aviation unions had shut down the airline’s operations to draw attention to its financial state and one wonders why the ‘chronic defaulters’ have not undergone any form of audit by the regulatory agency? Or is Arik’s owner, Chief Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, more powerful than the aviation agencies and the Government?
Aero Contractors, the oldest airline in the country, was bailed out N100bn; N40bn from CBN/BOI PAIF Intervention Funds and N60bn from AMCON. Its promoters, the super-rich Ibru family (who also own deluxe hotels and newspapers) siphoned all this money.
Why is there no National Assembly investigation on them like they did with Jimoh Ibrahim's defunct Air Nigeria? Aero now belongs to the state but the young Managing Director, Ibru, is allowed to continue to squander their finances and stays at home all week?
First Nation is former Bellview Airline which has large old debts and has not paid insurance claim but is allowed to fly because Tinubu and Stella have a stake in it?

Is there a deliberate attempt by these powerful oligarchs to shut down small airlines like IRS, Chanchangi and Dana Air in order to continue to rob Nigerians of billions of naira unabatedly? Or is the selective action of the NCAA a calculated move to kill these airlines and pave way for the ‘National Airline’ which Madam Minister has a stake in?
As is typical of thieving Nigerian politicians and political office holders, of course she will buy more N150m bullet-proof cars as well as more $30m private jets paid for by NCAA to pay for her lavish lifestyle which she is now enjoying. If she refuses to resign following the countless allegations of financial misappropriation, reckless embezzlement and gross abuse of office, should she not be relieved of her ministerial position?
Where is Overland Airways in this entire aviation crisis? What does its owner do besides sitting in Minister's office every day telling her what to do? And the NCAA? How autonomous are they? Or is the current Director General, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, the new puppy of Madam Minister and ‘Yes man’ in NCAA?
In a country that is relatively rich from oil revenues but whose population suffers widespread poverty due to endemic governmental corruption and the severe stratification of wealth, many citizens are not surprised that the aviation industry, like most other sectors of the economy, is in shambles.
Urgent action must be taken to correct the many ills in the sector and set the industry on the path to recovery and prosperity. Without a doubt, the Nigerian aviation industry portends huge potential for the nations GDP; Proper funding, effective policy implementation and supervision are critical to fully harness this potential.
Also necessary are more standardized programs for airline staff training, modernization of local airports, increased maintenance surveys of aircraft and stronger efforts to divorce governmental oversight agencies from political interests.

Emeka Gbulie, an Investment Advisor, writes from Lagos.

NCAA and its Efficiency

Ever since the unfortunate plan crash involving Associated Airlines happened, ten days ago, a lot has been unearthed, as more survivors continue to die, essentially in the rumor mill.

Already, there is a brewing brickbat between Fani Kayode, a former minister and the sitting minister, Stella Oduah. That is their business.

In pursuit of the transformation agenda of president Goodluck Jonathan, the airports began to wear radical new looks, with many of them really looking transformed, even though the finishing fit only standards Associated with the third worlds.

But I would have thought that the transformation will go beyond mere masonry. It has not. The airlines still delay flight s as much as five hours or even more, with no reasonable excuses other than, ‘’operational reasons’’ flights are still being cancelled arbitrarily, just like that. At the beginning of the year, NCAA rolled out passengers Bill of Rights.

All that is gone with the winds as nobody enforces anything anymore. Passengers are helplessly still at the mercies of the airlines whimsies. Touts still harass passengers, sometimes in collusion with the officials. Often, they tell you ‘’flights are fully booked’’ all to make you pay lots more than the face value of the tickets. And you get into the plane to find over a quarter of the seating capacity vacant.

But coming back to the associated Airline tragedy, what seems sure, though not confirmed, is that the airplane did not have insurance. The minister, the other day, dodged the question on it, preferring to hide under the perforated canopy of the so- called ongoing investigation. Pray, confirming that there is insurance cover or not is the simplest bit of investigation. It is a mere clerical check-up. Is there a valid insurance cover or not? Perhaps the arrival of the insurers from Uk Thursday puts paid to the controversy record of insurance details of the planes flying the sky? Why should confirming the insurance status of the plane take eternity? Why is the information being horded?

The hushed verbiages in the industry indicate that the airline was not insured! In a nation where even Okadas are required to have insurance cover, it is monumental negligence, if not wickedness, to allow a plane fly without a valid insurance cover.

Didn’t this same NCAA claim to be very efficient in clamping down Rotimi Amechi’s jet because it had some irregular clerical registration process? I had remarked at the time that it was a streak of strange efficiency motivated by political consideration. Didn’t the policy include that airlines must have insurance cover? So where was NCAA when such old, ill-serviced plane was flying and risking the lives of innocent passengers? Or is that class of negligence an act of God?

NCAA and its Efficiency- ThisDay

Ever since the unfortunate plan crash involving Associated Airlines happened, ten days ago, a lot has been unearthed, as more survivors continue to die, essentially in the rumor mill.

Already, there is a brewing brickbat between Fani Kayode, a former minister and the sitting minister, Stella Oduah. That is their business.

In pursuit of the transformation agenda of president Goodluck Jonathan, the airports began to wear radical new looks, with many of them really looking transformed, even though the finishing fit only standards Associated with the third worlds.

But I would have thought that the transformation will go beyond mere masonry. It has not. The airlines still delay flight s as much as five hours or even more, with no reasonable excuses other than, ‘’operational reasons’’ flights are still being cancelled arbitrarily, just like that. At the beginning of the year, NCAA rolled out passengers Bill of Rights.

All that is gone with the winds as nobody enforces anything anymore. Passengers are helplessly still at the mercies of the airlines whimsies. Touts still harass passengers, sometimes in collusion with the officials. Often, they tell you ‘’flights are fully booked’’ all to make you pay lots more than the face value of the tickets. And you get into the plane to find over a quarter of the seating capacity vacant.

But coming back to the associated Airline tragedy, what seems sure, though not confirmed, is that the airplane did not have insurance. The minister, the other day, dodged the question on it, preferring to hide under the perforated canopy of the so- called ongoing investigation. Pray, confirming that there is insurance cover or not is the simplest bit of investigation. It is a mere clerical check-up. Is there a valid insurance cover or not? Perhaps the arrival of the insurers from Uk Thursday puts paid to the controversy record of insurance details of the planes flying the sky? Why should confirming the insurance status of the plane take eternity? Why is the information being horded?

The hushed verbiages in the industry indicate that the airline was not insured! In a nation where even Okadas are required to have insurance cover, it is monumental negligence, if not wickedness, to allow a plane fly without a valid insurance cover.

Didn’t this same NCAA claim to be very efficient in clamping down Rotimi Amechi’s jet because it had some irregular clerical registration process? I had remarked at the time that it was a streak of strange efficiency motivated by political consideration. Didn’t the policy include that airlines must have insurance cover? So where was NCAA when such old, ill-serviced plane was flying and risking the lives of innocent passengers? Or is that class of negligence an act of God?

Dana Air: the fall guy in the aviation industry?

In the wake of the recent Associated Airlines crash, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in its usual knee jerk style clamped down the wings of Dana airline to give a false impression of closely monitoring the activities of airlines which it had hitherto abdicated. Dana Airline has become the fall guy resulting from the inefficiency and incompetence of the NCAA. A crash occurs and the first thing to do is to look for a scape-goat, instead of focusing on the real issues bedeviling the industry.

Well, the NCAA has told Nigerians that there will be an audit on the operations of the airline; yet nobody has explained to Nigerians the basis for the operational audit? how long it will take? Nobody has told Nigerians if the audit is going to be blanket, or if Dana is just the only defaulter in the industry? Nobody has also told us if the right thing to do is to ground an airline when an audit is to be conducted? All we know is that there is going to be an audit. Who is deceiving who?

Expectedly, airfares have gone up and the other airlines are smiling to the banks. Even the airlines with just one aircraft and the ones with very poor services, whose cases are far from different from that of Dana. It’s worse now, as air travelers are left at the mercy of these shylock airline operators! What a country!

I am made to feel that all these issues are coming up because of the yet-to-be-launched Nigeria One. Unconfirmed sources say the aviation minister and some politicians have a stake in the national carrier and are looking for a way to portray other airlines in bad light, to give the national carrier the market which might not be there with the recent happenings in the industry; coupled with NCAA’s attitude of scaring air travelers away with their frenzied attempt to do the bidding of a madam at the top.

Dana, I gather from media reports credited to the NCAA, was grounded as a result of an air return it had recently. Where is it written that the regulator should ground an airline because of an air return? Air returns are initiated in line with ICAO standards and in the interest of safety of passengers and crew (It is a precautionary safety procedure). This is not the case in Nigeria, as the entire airline is grounded by the minister herself, as i was made to understand by insider sources. If this is truly the case, then the NCAA should be grounded! What are they there for?

Under ICAO standards, the NCAA ought to be autonomous to be able to perform its responsibilities without fear or bias. The government’s interference with the responsibilities of the regulatory agencies is a bad precedence that might lead to the country’s blacklist on the ICAO registry and the loss of the coveted Category One status.

This domino effect of this action by madam minister ( if truly she is the one that grounded the entire airline) has indirectly thrown some people into the labour market. Because, if Dana doesn’t return to operations, Nigerians working there will lose their jobs and those they just recruited as a result of their route expansion will lose the opportunity. I really don’t care about the Indian origin of the owners (although I hear the MD was born and raised here in Nigeria); what I care about is the sincerity or otherwise of the action, and our brothers who will be thrown into the already saturated labour market just because an ‘entire airline’ instead of a ‘particular aircraft’ was grounded.

Another effect this action will create, if the NCAA doesn’t make the audit a blanket one, is the negative signal we will be passing to investors and the international community. President Jonathan’s attempt to woo investors will lose its essence, and the transformation agenda will be a mere propaganda. Then, the whole audit thing will be regarded as a mere charade.

We all know that the likes of Jimoh Ibrahim, Femi Otedola and our darling Aliko Dangote get favours from the president as a result of their status as employers of labour and contributors to the economy, but an investor is an investor, be it Nigerian or none Nigerian!

My advice to the management of the airline is to make judicious use of government’s intervention fund (that is if the Government is truly committed to it) to improve its services and acquire newer aircraft to its fleet. I have flown Dana and I like the fact that they hardly delay flights. Their in-flight and customer service is wonderful, at least; they rank above other airlines in that regard, but that won’t be enough, if they don’t fulfill their moral and legal obligation to the families of victims of the last crash by completing all outstanding compensation payments quickly, as promised by madam at the top.

Finally, I will advise NCAA to be dispassionate in the audit of ALL the airlines, as it is not only Dana that needs to be audited. They should ensure they maintain their autonomy as interference won’t help the sector.

We are watching!

Dana Air: the fall guy in the aviation industry?

In the wake of the recent Associated Airlines crash, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in its usual knee jerk style clamped down the wings of Dana airline to give a false impression of closely monitoring the activities of airlines which it had hitherto abdicated. Dana Airline has become the fall guy resulting from the inefficiency and incompetence of the NCAA. A crash occurs and the first thing to do is to look for a scape-goat, instead of focusing on the real issues bedeviling the industry.

Well, the NCAA has told Nigerians that there will be an audit on the operations of the airline; yet nobody has explained to Nigerians the basis for the operational audit? how long it will take? Nobody has told Nigerians if the audit is going to be blanket, or if Dana is just the only defaulter in the industry? Nobody has also told us if the right thing to do is to ground an airline when an audit is to be conducted? All we know is that there is going to be an audit. Who is deceiving who?
Expectedly, airfares have gone up and the other airlines are smiling to the banks. Even the airlines with just one aircraft and the ones with very poor services, whose cases are far from different from that of Dana. It’s worse now, as air travelers are left at the mercy of these shylock airline operators! What a country!
I am made to feel that all these issues are coming up because of the yet-to-be-launched Nigeria One. Unconfirmed sources say the aviation minister and some politicians have a stake in the national carrier and are looking for a way to portray other airlines in bad light, to give the national carrier the market which might not be there with the recent happenings in the industry; coupled with NCAA’s attitude of scaring air travelers away with their frenzied attempt to do the bidding of a madam at the top.
Dana, I gather from media reports credited to the NCAA, was grounded as a result of an air return it had recently. Where is it written that the regulator should ground an airline because of an air return? Air returns are initiated in line with ICAO standards and in the interest of safety of passengers and crew (It is a precautionary safety procedure). This is not the case in Nigeria, as the entire airline is grounded by the minister herself, as i was made to understand by insider sources. If this is truly the case, then the NCAA should be grounded! What are they there for?

Under ICAO standards, the NCAA ought to be autonomous to be able to perform its responsibilities without fear or bias. The government’s interference with the responsibilities of the regulatory agencies is a bad precedence that might lead to the country’s blacklist on the ICAO registry and the loss of the coveted Category One status.

This domino effect of this action by madam minister ( if truly she is the one that grounded the entire airline) has indirectly thrown some people into the labour market. Because, if Dana doesn’t return to operations, Nigerians working there will lose their jobs and those they just recruited as a result of their route expansion will lose the opportunity. I really don’t care about the Indian origin of the owners (although I hear the MD was born and raised here in Nigeria); what I care about is the sincerity or otherwise of the action, and our brothers who will be thrown into the already saturated labour market just because an ‘entire airline’ instead of a ‘particular aircraft’ was grounded.

Another effect this action will create, if the NCAA doesn’t make the audit a blanket one, is the negative signal we will be passing to investors and the international community. President Jonathan’s attempt to woo investors will lose its essence, and the transformation agenda will be a mere propaganda. Then, the whole audit thing will be regarded as a mere charade.
We all know that the likes of Jimoh Ibrahim, Femi Otedola and our darling Aliko Dangote get favours from the president as a result of their status as employers of labour and contributors to the economy, but an investor is an investor, be it Nigerian or none Nigerian!


My advice to the management of the airline is to make judicious use of government’s intervention fund (that is if the Government is truly committed to it) to improve its services and acquire newer aircraft to its fleet. I have flown Dana and I like the fact that they hardly delay flights. Their in-flight and customer service is wonderful, at least; they rank above other airlines in that regard, but that won’t be enough, if they don’t fulfill their moral and legal obligation to the families of victims of the last crash by completing all outstanding compensation payments quickly, as promised by madam at the top.

Finally, I will advise NCAA to be dispassionate in the audit of ALL the airlines, as it is not only Dana that needs to be audited. They should ensure they maintain their autonomy as interference won’t help the sector.

We are watching!



Comrade Bayo writes from Lagos