Nigerian airline spends N67.5m annually to maintain 4 pilots – NCAA boss

The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said on Tuesday in Lagos that an airline in Nigeria spent an average of N67.5 million annually to maintain four pilots. He spoke at a seminar entitled “Transformation Agenda: The Emerging Opportunities” organised by the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship in the aviation sector.
“An airline with about four aircraft will spend an estimated 450,000 dollars (N67.5 million) on its pilots annually. We are losing so much money to foreign countries annually for routine maintenance carried out outside the country.
“This is due to the fact that we do not have any company where these checks can be done’’ Demuren said.
The NCAA chief noted that the lack of training facilities for pilots in Nigeria had compelled them to travel abroad for recertification. He said part of the whooping sum was usually used for the maintenance of hangars, establishment of ground handling companies and aviation training schools. Demuren urged Nigerian businessmen to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the sector by providing recertification and aircraft simulator training test for pilots operating in the country.
“It is a surprise that the level of growth being experienced by our airlines is not supported by corresponding infrastructure development,’’ he added. Dr Sam Ohuabunwa, the guest speaker and former chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, urged Nigerians entrepreneurs to invest in public infrastructure and mechanised farming as a means of creating jobs. He lauded the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan for all sectors of the economy, including the aviation sector. The transformation agenda will achieve a progressive growth for the country,’’ Ohuabunwa said.