FG’s Intervention in Arik, Aero saved over 3, 000 jobs- Minister

• Nigeria’s airspace one of world’s safest

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has expressed happiness with the present state of Arik and Aero Contractors, adding that the intervention by the Federal Government to rescue the two carriers helped to save what he said would have been catastrophic to the aviation.

The quick intervention of the two airlines helped to save over 3,000 jobs and the dearth of more aviation professionals. The two airlines are today still in operation, under receivership.

Sirika noted that the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over the management of Arik in February 2017 following a huge debt profile to AMCON and other creditors around the globe, a development in the aviation industry that saved the collapse of yet another airline as well as thousands of jobs in the country.

 “His words, “Intervention to rescue Arik Air and Aero Contractors from total collapse is another was the best decision we took. Failure to do that would have led to the demise of the two airlines and cause huge loss of about 3, 000 jobs of professionals in the sector. The two airlines are today still in operation, under receivership.

“I think other operators should understudy whatever model AMCON used to revive the two very important airlines because without them these two critical airlines would have become history like many others before them,” he noted.

Arik before it was taken over by AMCON was in a precarious situation largely attributable to its heavy financial debt burden, bad corporate governance, erratic operational challenges and other issues, that required immediate intervention in order to guarantee the continued survival of the Airline.

Aero Contractors airlines, like Arik is also under the receivership of AMCON and made history by conducting the first C-check on a Boeing B373.

It also recently extended its maintenance hangar so that it could effectively take in a Boeing 737 aircraft and it is partnering with A J Walters of the United Kingdom for tooling and spares, the South Africa Airways Technical and other international maintenance organisations to ensure that its aircraft maintenance facility is in line with global standards.

To make the airspace safer, the Minister disclosed that the Federal Government through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) completed the Kano Tower Automated Air Traffic Management and Meteorological Systems, installed the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) Category II (CAT II), Doppler VORs (DVORs), Distance Measuring Equipment (DMEs) at four airports; Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Kaduna completed, while that of Minna, Jos, Yola, Maiduguri, Benin and Akure are still on-going and nearing completion.

His words, “You will also recall that almost two years ago, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Installed CAT III Instrument Landing System in Lagos and Abuja, which has helped in great deal to improve operations during inclement weather conditions. Also, we have installed the Very High Frequency (VHF) radios for aerodrome and approach air-ground communication in 18 airports nationwide. The airports are Maiduguri, Enugu, Jos, Calabar, Yola, Ilorin, Sokoto, Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Zaria, Katsina, Owerri, Yola, Calabar and Kaduna”.

Besides, we have installed the high power Very High Frequency (VHF) stand-alone radios in Lagos and Kano Area Control Centres (ACC) as backup for air – ground upper airways voice communication and we also embarked on the deployment of Controller-Pilot-Data Link Communication (CPDLC) in Lagos and Kano to enhance communication in the oceanic region and the remote areas of the north.

He further stated that the commencement of Aeronautical Information Management Automation Project, which comprises a network of 26 VSAT facilities at all Nigerian airports as well as Search and Rescue (S&R), with co-ordination, is domiciled in Lagos.

This, he said will enable Nigeria to comply with the mandatory transition from Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM), stressing that they have also developed and published Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) Procedures  for 18 airports across the country and also introduced Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Arrival Routes(STARs) at Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt as an improvement on the procedures.

He further disclosed that the desire of the government was to complete many abandoned airports projects instead of embarking on new ones.

President Buhari early last year and this year commissioned the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Passenger facilitation has since commenced at these airports.

According to Sirika, “This administration met the projects on ground, but Mr. President ensured that they were not abandoned. At present, Kano and Enugu airports are at advanced stages of completion”.

“We reconstructed Abuja runway and undertook isolated repair of the taxiway and apron, including complete remarking of the entire pavement and associated airfield lighting system. We streamlined various security screening points at the international airports in line with Executive Order on Ease of Doing Business”.

“This government also installed solar airfield lighting at 10 airports; Akure, Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Yola, Kaduna, Minna, Enugu, Maiduguri, Jos and Ibadan. We also completed a 1300-capacity multi-storey car park at the international terminal in Lagos through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the construction of Wing D Terminal at Abuja Airport2, he added

He lauded the achievements of Accident Investigation Bureau with the prompt investigation of crashes and the quick release of accident reports; a departure from the past when accident reports are withheld for years with the public not knowing what has happened to plane crashes.

It would be recalled that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 11 others were involved in a helicopter crash managed by Caverton Helicopter in Kabba, Kogi State and few hours after the accident, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) vowed that it would publish the preliminary report in few days.

True to its word, in less than two weeks, AIB came out with the preliminary report on the accident and this singular action received applauds from all stakeholders including Aviation Round Table (ART).