All Nigerian airlines operate safe service
The Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau – Nigeria (AIB-N), Engr. Akin Olateru, has reiterated that all Nigerian airlines are safe despite the challenges facing the sub-sector. AIB also said that it is investigating some serious incidents involving some Nigerian airlines, assuring that their safety recommendations would be released to the public in the coming weeks.
Olateru, while speaking at an aviation forum recently held in Lagos, said that the challenges of aviation fuel, foreign exchange and maintenance were affecting the performances of Nigerian airlines, but insisted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was up to the task of maintaining safety in the sector.
Olateru explained that in order to solve most of the challenges in the system, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation recently held a meeting with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of indigenous carriers, and assured that the present challenges would be resolved.
“All the airlines in Nigeria are safe and if there is any infraction that is the job of the NCAA to do. I know that there are challenges right now like the challenges of aviation fuel, foreign exchange and others is something that the government is doing something about.
“The AON and the minister met recently to discuss the way forward and it is something that the government is doing something about. I believe that with time, those challenges will be gone.”
Olateru also insisted that Nigeria had one of the best safety records in the global aviation industry with just three deaths from an air crash in the past six years.
A helicopter Bell 206 with the registration number: 5N-BQW, belonging to Quorum Aviation with three souls had in August 2020 crashed into a building at the Opebi area of Lagos.
Olateru insisted that the high safety record of the country was not by the stroke of luck, but because all the agencies involved in safety and prevention of accidents or serious incidents adhered strictly to the best industry standards.
“How did that happen? It is not by luck or accident. It is because the NCAA is doing their job and the Accident Investigation Bureau is doing their job, investigating incidents and issuing the right safety recommendations to prevent recurrence and at the end of the day. It is about everyone doing what they are supposed to do,” he said.
According to Olateru, most of the safety recommendations released to different agencies, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and other organisations have been implemented, stressing that AIB had a system in place where it follows up to monitor the implementation of the safety recommendations.
Speaking on the impending national carrier, Nigeria Air, Olateru said that the birth of the airline would create more jobs for teeming qualified Nigerians in spite of the wet-leased arrangement for acquisition of three aircraft by the government.
