A silent war is brewing between Nigeria’s airline operators and regulatory agency, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), over new rules released for the importation of new aircraft for the domestic operation.
Nogie Meggison, Executive Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) said domestic investors are against the NCAA proposal, which jettisoned the earlier rule where airlines bankrolled regulatory officials’ trips overseas for inspection of aircraft before they are brought into the country.
Meggison said the new rule mandating the NCAA to carry out inspection of aircraft within the country after they have been flown in was inimical to safety standards and also harmful to business interest of operators who may have to bear the extra cost of flying back such aircraft if they fail to meet the air worthiness standards of the NCAA.
He said if the old rule of airlines having to sponsor NCAA officials to countries of import was considered unethical to the regulatory agency, it was better for the NCAA to utilise part of the five per cent tax paid on tickets by domestic airlines to fund their officials’ inspection tour of aircraft overseas.
“The heavy cost borne by airline operators for aircraft inspection by NCAA could be reduced through buying of economy seat tickets for the NCAA officials as opposed to the current arrangement where the airlines are expected to provide a business class ticket for such officials.
“Airlines are already paying 5 per cent tax on all ticket sales to NCAA, the regulatory authority should subsidise or pay for inspection fees from this fund as this would encourage airlines to bring in more aircraft to increase capacity in the industry and give the regulatory agency an opportunity to earn more revenue from airlines. And such significant that are currently battling high operating costs of the Nigerian economy,” he added. According to him, operators would still prefer NCAA officials accompanying them to the manufacturers’ facility or country of sale to carry out the necessary check on the aircraft before being flown into Nigeria.
He noted that defects or faults found by NCAA inspectors on any aircraft requiring rectification could be carried out at the seller’s C Check Maintenance Repair Organisation (MRO), before such planes are flown into Nigeria.
Meggison also said allowing NCAA inspectors to travel to the place where the aircraft is originating from would not only give the inspectors technical exposure on the job but would allow them carry out detailed checks on the airplane before it is brought into Nigeria.
