NAAPE insists technology transfer, skills are benefits of E195 acquisition for local engineers

• Commends Air Peace on training local engineers

NATIONAL Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) says the country’s aviation industry is 70-85% back to pre-COVID era especially as new airlines are emerging with new state-of-the-art technology which gives local engineers window to get  skills, job and technology transfer.

This is just as the association has commended Air Peace for the acquisition of the brand new Embraer 195-E5 stating that with the acquisition of the aircraft type training of engineers by the airline has commenced.

President of NAAPE, Abednego Galadima made this known while talking about recent developments in the industry at the NAAPE Headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos stating that investments like the above would provide job opportunities for the industry.

Abednego said,” In my opinion, the sector has recovered 70-85% pre-COVID and it is highly commendable because we have a leadership in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) that pulled us through and guided the industry right.”

On how the industry has fared during recovery, Abednego said,” We are having an emergence of new airlines that is an indication that there is renewed confidence in the industry which is highly welcome by our organization.

“Particularly, you see some new investment are beginning to come in for instance, we commend Air Peace for bringing in new aircraft that would open a vista of opportunity for pilots and engineers in terms of skills acquisition, technology transfer, open opportunity for jobs. These are good developments and it is something we welcome and support.”

On the readiness of Nigerians to handle this new technology in terms of flying and maintenance, the NAAPE president said they were ready and only needed to be type-rated.

He said: “Yes, why not! Virtually most of the local engineers have the basic technical skills, all they need now is to be type-rated on particular aircraft and credit goes to Air Peace as I am aware they have done training for our local engineers, which is also commendable.

“Once they get type-rated they will be good to go. Remember I said it is a vista of opportunity with more technology transfer and that would give us an advantage particularly in Africa with this new technology and skills so eventually, we may end up getting to work on the aircraft when they become available around Africa.

On NAAPE’s relationship as a union with its employees, Galadima said that the current executives have always believed in the principle of social partnership and so have always tried a collaborative approach instead of confrontation.

“There has been hostilities between employers and unions because of misconceptions that unions exists to disrupt operations but what we are saying is we have maintained this collaborative approach that our leadership believes we can build on by forming social partnership.”