The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says six
airlines have passed the airworthiness requirements in readiness for the
resumption of commercial flight operations.
Ita Awak, NCAA director for airworthiness standards,
disclosed this during a webinar that held on Tuesday night till the early hours
of Wednesday.
The webinar participants included Hadi Sirika, the minister
of aviation; Musa Nuhu, NCAA director-general; and Sanni Aliyu the national
coordinator of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19.
“Six of the airlines have crossed the mark from the point of
view of airworthiness. We have asked all the airlines that they should use only
reagents that are approved by the original equipment manufacturers of their
different aircraft types to disinfect their machines,” Awak said.
Godwin Balang, NCAA general manager for airline operators
certificate and surveillance, said the agency has received restart plans from
20 aviation operators, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN).
“We have received from FAAN, plan on Mallam Aminu Kano
International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport, Port
Harcourt; Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri; while those of Murtala Muhammed Airport,
Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja came later,” Balang said.
Reacting to plans by some airlines to keep the middle row
empty upon flight resumption, Samson Fatokun, West Africa area manager of the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), warned that airlines would not
break even with the proposed 70 percent load factor.
Allen Onyeama, CEO of Air Peace airline, also said the
situation might not be sustainable as airlines would have to transfer the cost
of the empty seats to customers.
“All over the world, the biggest airlines are emphasizing
it. It doesn’t really make any sense. That depletes the resources of these
airlines. it will definitely kill the airlines because the purchasing power of
the Nigerian people is very low.
“If you want to now distribute the cost on the few people
who are flying, about 50 percent or 70 percent who are flying, maybe an
aircraft of about 140-seater, you are flying only 90 people, you have to
distribute the other seats not being flown on the passengers
“Can Nigerians afford N70,000 worth of ticket on less than
one-hour flight?”
The tentative date for the resumption of domestic flights in
the country is June 21, 2020.
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