During a recent address to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies’ 2013 Training Workshop on Aviation and Space Law held at the University of Lagos, the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Joyce Nkemakolam, has said airlines and private aircraft owners have ploughed USD4.5billion into the acquisition of aircraft in the last six years. |
| Arik Air's planned 787 (Boeing) |
Dr Nkemakolam said that since 2007, Nigerian airlines have invested in either acquiring or leasing new modern aircraft such as the ATR42/72, Boeing 737NGs, Bombardier CRJ 900 and Q400 and Embraer Regional Jets, with the crash of Dana Air 9J997 in June 2012 proving to be a turning point in the industry regarding aviation safety awareness.
“The safety reform agenda of the federal government which was anchored on the recertification of the industry, infrastructural rehabilitation, fleet renewal and manpower development have successfully changed the course of aviation in Nigeria,” he said.
Source [ThisDay]
He remarked that it was the same reform process which is aimed at improving safety that gave rise to the on-going recertification exercise for airlines and which has reduced Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders from about 50 to 17.
Meanwhile, Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has reasserted claims that Boeing "has indeed submitted a Proposal to the ministry to conduct an "airworthiness assessment" of all it's Nigerian Registered aircraft in the fleet of domestic airlines in the country."
Princess Oduah was responding to press reports claiming Boeing had rebuffed Nigeria's directive on the grounds that it had not the authority to determine the airworthiness of Nigerian-registered aircraft.
