- Iyayi flays six aircraft minimum operations for AOC acquisition, start-upsÂ
- Says agencies support staff outweigh technicalsÂ
Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Captain Musa Shuaibu Nuhu is encouraging further synergy and collaboration among domestic airlines operating in Nigeria stressing that the industry has to adopt workable initiatives and change strategies to contend with ever-changing times.
This is just as industry operator and Managing Director of Top Brass, Mr. Roland Iyayi has equally challenged the industry especially government agencies to do the same by avoiding knee jerk reactions that ensue from a chaos brought on by reactive policies.
Both were participants at the just concluded 27th League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Conference with the theme: “Aviation Industry: Changing Times, Changing Strategies.”
Captain Nuhu who gave the keynote address was represented by Director Airworthiness and Safety Standards, Engineer Abatan Gbolahan surmised that the airlines should reflect on their lone-wolf approach and change tactics.
He said, “I want to encourage Nigerian airlines to avoid I-want-to-do-it-alone as reflected in their lone-wolf operational tactic. While I want to appreciate our operators for a job well done in terms of the spirit and the impact, we urge airlines to partner with their willing foreign counterparts through code sharing in developing Nigeria’s aviation industry. I remember that at a phase Air France interlined with Aero Contractor
“Even though the ‘Spring Alliance’ was a Nigerian initiative, there is a window for other like-minded airlines around the world to key into the scheme. Efficiency is the barometer for success in the industry as airlines’ On-Time-Performance (OTP) is an indispensable condition.
Iyayi on his part, said the industry needed some house cleaning because problems a white paper identified in 2005 are still relevant challenges in 2023 even when the solutions were there.
According to him, the industry is not proactive but reactive and produces policies that stifle growth using the six(6) aircraft AOC minimum as a case in point.
He said,” There was a review and imputed that airlines will have six(6) before they can have AOCs. I am sitting here telling you if you want to have a policy driven by the CAA to talk about airline profitability, and you are giving me a handicap, what is that?
He chided government agencies and parastatals over what he termed as skewed employment with these agencies being over bloated with non- relevant staff.
” Our agencies’ today are overstaffed. They are bloated why? Because for technical agencies there are not enough technical people all support people. If the numbers are skewed where the mandate is technical yet you have more support.
He lamented,” The module of how these agencies survive is actually feedback to the airlines. The airlines are the ones with the fees and charges that support these agencies.
