Nigeria’s aviation environment most hostile in the world, says Senate

The Senate has described Nigeria’s aviation industry operating environment as one with the most hostile in the world.

This is coming as trained pilots in the country cried out to the upper chamber to bail them out of joblessness.

Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah who had audience with leaders of the National Association of Aircrafts Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) in his office assessed the situation of the aviation industry in the country.

NAAPE, led by its President, Jacob Ogwu, urged Na’Allah in his capacity as Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation and a critical stakeholder in the sector, to help in making the Senate to beam its searchlight on problems bedevilling the sector.

But Na’Allah told the visiting pilots and engineers that the executive and not the Senate, should be pressurised to urgently do what is right for the sector to grow and be in proper shape.

He said, “Nigeria’s aviation sector being the most hostile one to investors and other key players, the current 8th Senate within three months of its inception in 2015 debated on a motion sponsored by me on problems bedevilling the sector and came up with far-reaching 24-point resolutions for the way out but none of the resolutions have been considered by the executive for more than two years now.

“So, to us in the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, we have done the needful by proffering solutions. It is left for the executive to implement the resolutions.

“As we stand today, we have the most hostile aviation operation environment and you cannot develop aviation under this hostile environment. It is not possible because business people want to make profit and you know in aviation, profit is not available, aircraft is working for pilot, is working for insurance and engineers so there is nothing actually.

“Unless we look at these issues seriously we can never guarantee the growth of general aviation which will serve as a support to the airline and thereby a robust economic stimulant for movement of goods and services in Nigeria.”

Na’Allah sympathised with the young pilots for being jobless as a result of limited flying experience.

According to him, “The industry is built more on safety consideration and not brilliance exhibited by any pilot while in training.

“No brilliance in flying, but rather cumulative hours of flying achieved by a pilot. The more hours of flying a pilot has to his credit, the easier he gets engaged by airline owners. So my advice for all of you is to be adding to your hours of flying on daily basis through rentage of aircrafts for that purpose which is however expensive,” he explained.