Bumpy road to airline licensing

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than prospective operator to get an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC). WOLE SHADARE highlights the difficult stages to becoming an airline operator

Discouraging system

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has consistently stood its grounds in maintaining its ‘strict’ policy of granting intending airline operators the all-important AOC. The requirements for obtaining an AOC for an intending airline operator vary from one country to the other, but at a time in Nigeria, AOC for intending carrier could be acquired with an applicant indicating interest to set up an airline in the sector.

With the system then, the intending airline was put under a mild or no scrutiny at all by the industry regulator, NCAA. The NCAA insistence on strict procedure of issuance of airline licences is one of the processes to ensure that no airline cuts corner in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) regulation.

This has come at a great expense to prospective operators who find it extremely difficult to go through the tortuous five stages of certification. The aviation regulatory body has even made it more difficult and stringent to cheat the system.

Knowing the rules

Spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, said it is laughable when people who do not know how the system operates to say that airlines borrow aircraft to deceive NCAA into issuing them AOC license. He said that is not possible.

Speaking on what it described as unfounded report that Omni Blu got its AOC this years, Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Capt. Sunny Adegbuyi, said for clarification purposes, Omni Blu Aviation limited got her AOC certification in 2015 and as at today, referencing the NCCA Document and Omniblu Operational Specification, Omniblu has five helicopters and three aeroplanes on her AOC – HS123-850XP (5NSPL); Challenger 604 (N880ET); and Boeing 737 Freighter (5NIZB) For Helicopters, Omni Blu Aviation has, Two Agusta Westland 139 (5N-BTR) and (5NBQB), two Bell 4125 (D-HIPP), (D-HAFW) and one Bell 212 (DHBZT).

The aviation regulatory body stated that there are five processes for granting of AOC to any interested persons. These requirements are pre-application phase. This entails initial enquiry or request about NCAA’s certification; obtaining of CAR and advisory; provision of forms to prospective applicants’ NCAA receives and review PASI for acceptance and completeness.

The next stage is document compliance phase, which involves certification team reviewing applicant’s documents for compliance acceptance/approval.

This also includes formal application, letter of compliance, training and acceptance. The others are AOC process, which is called Demonstration and Inspection Phase that involves evaluation by certification team, and applicant’s demonstration of compliance’ evaluation of management effectiveness, inspection of station(s) facilities, flight operations, maintenance and records.

The next is called certification phase, which allows the intending operator for approval of AOC and OpSpec with coordination with Director for Safety Oversight and DG NCAA.

Limbo

Not a few believe that the tough conditions for acquiring AOC have made over 26 airlines to stall processes for their licenses. The operators that have terminated their AOC processes are Jet Support Services, Air First (abandoned since 2015) got to stage two.

Air Taraba, Air Jupiter, Con-tinental Aerospace, Jet Leasing Support, Quorum Aviation, Tropical Arctie, Xejet, Revillo were in stage three. Glory Airlines, Dominion Air Limited, Mounthill Aviation Resources Limited got to phase one until they stalled the processes.

Others in Exploratory phase are Air Stream Aviation, Baltic Airlines, Millenium Travels and Tours, New Okada Air, Onedot Aviation, Oriental Airlines, Prime Air Services, Private Airline Services, Trebet Aviation Aerospace Nig. Limited.

Such a new operator is expected to close different phases set out by the industry policeman, NCAA, which could take it up to two years or more before being issued an AOC. Generally, an intending operator is expected to have sufficient personnel with the required experience for the type of operations requested, airworthy aircraft, suitable for the type of operations requested, acceptable systems for the training of crew and the operation of the aircraft (Operations Manual).

Also, an intending operator is expected to have a quality system to ensure that all applicable regulations are followed, the appointment of key accountable staff, who are responsible for specific safety critical functions such as training, maintenance and operations.

Besides, there should be carriers Liability Insurance (for airlines); operators are to have sufficient insurance to cover the injury or death of any passenger carried, proof that the operator has sufficient finances to fund the operation, operator should also have sufficient ground infrastructure, or arrangements for the supply of sufficient infrastructure, to support its operations into the ports requested.

Tougher rule

For Nigeria, NCAA included a minimum of 50 hours demonstration flights for intending operator. An intending operator in the country’s aviation industry is expected to fly empty with full crewmembers and NCAA inspectors for minimum of 50 hours. NCAA argues that the essence of the 50 hours demonstration flight is to ensure that the applicant could carry out scheduled operations with all the safety standards without compromise.

Operator’s view

Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said, “First and foremost, I want to commend the NCAA and the Director- General who probably in his own wisdom decided to enforce the compliance. It is a good thing for this nation and the industry.

“Demonstration flight, we will not condemn it, it is the best because you don’t carry commercial passengers when you are not sure that your aircraft is safe for flying. In the case of Med- View, NCAA insisted that we must fly 50 hours and in the process of acquiring the certificate, we flew 50 hours, 35 minutes and it’s on record that we gave them 7 hrs 39 minutes extra.

If anybody is talking about flying compliance, I should be able to say that I’m complaint. I’m very proud of this, there were no cutting corners, we went for it and we earned it.”

Conclusion

While many have lauded NCAA for stringent safety requirements, others have called on the agency to relax some rules. Relaxing the rules at this stage could take the sector back 15 years when airplanes started falling off the skies.

Wole Shadare