For transforming a mere dream to reality, the aviation industry at the weekend was agog for Nigeria’s oldest airline, Aero Contractors when it rolled out and celebrated its successful conduct of c-check on Boeing 737 classic, the second in the history of Nigeria after the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited.
The Boeing B737 aircraft with registration number, 5N-BLG the c-check was conducted on and which was officially rolled out at the occasion, had been tested and found airworthy and had since gone into service, thus confirming the airline’s ability to conduct that level of aircraft maintenance.
Elated industry operators and other stakeholders said this would save Nigerian airlines a whooping sum of money presently spent overseas on maintenance, as they would now patronise Aero’s Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO), which last year received approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to conduct that level of checks.
The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said the facility would save airlines over $90 million annually in capital flight as C-check which hitherto was done outside the shores of Nigeria would now be done locally.
He said Nigeria experiences huge capital flights of nothing less than $1.8million to $3million per Boeing aircraft on C-Checks overseas.
“It is noteworthy that Boeing 737 aircraft are the most aircraft fleet operated in Nigeria by most indigenous airlines, prior to now and in the lifespan of other administrations, Nigeria experienced huge capital flight of nothing less than $1.8million to $3million per Boeing aircraft that left our shores for C-Checks and there are more than 30 of such aircraft operating; so you do the arithmetic,” he said in his address.
Speaking at the occasion, an elated Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, attributed the feat to staff dedication, professionalism and hard work.
He said, “Today’s occasion proves that with good policies, smart management, effective oversight and professional dedication by staff, hard work gets rewarded and companies dedicated to public services can be revived from the brink of collapse”.
According to him, conducting aircraft C-Check in Nigeria is a huge milestone for the aviation sector adding that in Aero, there were several challenging moments.
“Thankfully, our team of engineers and technicians persisted and surmounted the challenges to make today possible. Permit me to mention here that this certification of Aero to conduct C-Checks in Nigeria seamlessly dovetails into the Ease of Doing Business Policy of the present administration. Aero hereby invites airlines to conduct their C-Checks for B737 Classics with us bearing in mind the tangible deliverables to be derived from patronising Aero.
“These include saving foreign exchange, getting a quicker aircraft turn-around time, enriching Nigerian technical expertise and knowledge base and strengthening the Nigerian aviation sector as the regional and sub-regional hub for aviation activities. Aero hereby extends its hand in partnership to all.
Sanusi also stressed on the collaboration between Aero and its technical partners, including South Africa Airways Technic and AJ Walters Group and other partners with whom the airline formed a strong and successful synergy in its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) division.
“S.A.A Technique and AJW Group remain our technical partners whom we hold in the highest esteem for their commitment in adding immense technical value to our maintenance department. Both companies went far beyond the terms of the MoU we signed on this project and worked with our team like a family. This gathering today is highly resilting from their commitment to aiding Aero build up its technical capacity,” Sanusi remarked.
Sanusi in his address also called on the Federal government to assist Aero by interfacing with the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure that it expedites the easy passage and clearance of tools that are imported for imported for aircraft maintenance, said this would greatly help in avoiding loosing days waiting for Customs to clear our tools to enable us proceed with the maintenance.
He said that though Aero, has applied to be granted Free Trade Zone status at the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and “we are hoping that granting us the status shall be expedited in the first quarter of 2018 as it would ease our maintenance turn-around time which is key to building customer confidence in patronizing Aero for its C-Check maintenance.”
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru said the feat has justified the huge investment the agency made in the airline and others, noting that it was aimed at stabilising the challenged aviation industry
He said it was important to underscore the fact that Aero Contractors’ certification to conduct the C-Checks for Boeing 737-500 series and other B737 classics locally is a boom for the industry because it would save millions of dollars that Nigerian airlines spend outside this country on facilities such as this.
“We cannot continue to allow capital flight of our scarce foreign exchange towards paying for services that are available in Nigeria and would provide a source of employment for our people. To this end a directive to other airlines towards the use of this facility at least to the extent of its capabilities and certifications, would go a long way towards ensuring the growth of the Aero MRO into being certified for other Aircrafts types”, he said.
