The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has issued a stern warning to the National Assembly, especially the House Committee on Aviation, to steer clear of activities at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), saying that its recent comment was tantamount to political interference on safety issues.

NAAPE, which is the umbrella body of pilots and engineers in the country, declared on Monday that it was out of the purview of the National Assembly to determine who and when the regulatory body should issue Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC).

Speaking with aviation journalists in Lagos, Engr. Abednego Galadima, the President of NAAPE, insisted that the National Assembly was undermining the autonomy of NCAA with its interference on safety issues when it directed the regulatory body not to issue an AOC to a start-up carrier, NG Eagle Airlines, which is being promoted by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

Recall that the House Committee on Aviation had on Wednesday in Abuja directed NCAA not to issue AOC to NG Eagle Airlines over the legacy debt of Arik Air and a petition purportedly received from a section of the union in the country’s aviation industry.

Arik Air had been under the receivership of AMCON since February 2017 and the corporation is also sponsoring NG Eagle Airlines.

Galadima explained that section 30 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 clearly spelt out powers of NCAA and empowers it to function without political interference, insisting that the pronouncement of the House committee on the issue amounted to political interference and so counterproductive, which falls short of global best practices.

The NAAPE president warned that continued interference in the affairs of NCAA may lead to the loss of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Category One status, which Nigeria attained in 2006.

He added, “This has grave consequences on the aviation sector, particularly now that the industry is counting her losses occasioned by the negative impact of COVID-19 and badly needed huge investment inflows to recover fully.

“It is also important to bring to the fore that Nigeria will soon be facing International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit and practices like this have the potential to make us underperform. It can also cause us to lose our Category One Status as a nation.

“The contention on whether NCAA should give NG Eagle an AOC or not is very unnecessary and uncalled for. We see it clearly as an attempt to politically influence the NCAA’s decision on what is clearly a technical process, which have outlined requirements and procedures that guide them in determining suitability or otherwise.”

NAAPE insisted that the NG Eagle was a good initiative by AMCON and deserved to be given fair deal and commended the corporation for saving thousands of jobs in the sector through its intervention in Arik Air and Aero Contractors.

NAAPE, it emphasised, supported AMCON in floating NG Eagle, saying it would further guarantee jobs for its members and create more opportunities for the teeming unemployed pilots and engineers, among others.

It charged Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of NCAA, to immediately conclude the process of issuing an AOC to the carrier, stressing that information at its disposal indicated that the airline had met all the requirements as stipulated by the regulation.

Besides, NAAPE challenged the Minister of Finance, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Salaries and Wages Commission and the management of NCAA to conclude and approve new condition of service (CoS) for staff of NCAA.

It warned that if this was not implemented in the next three weeks, it would not hesitate to embark on an indefinite strike to press home its demand.

(Daily Independent)

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