New NCAA guidelines may ground aircraft, airlines, crew post COVID-19

The decision by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to suspend issuance and processing of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and other related certificates to aviation personnel may reduce operational airplanes and qualified pilots from taking to the skies after the end of Coronavirus pandemic.

The NCAA in a letter to aviation industry stakeholders titled, “COVID-19 outbreak: Industry communication from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) signed by the DG, Capt. Musa Nuhu dated April 1, 2020 stated that inspections and audit paid for by clients are suspended until June 30^th, 2020.

The aviation regulatory body equally stated in the letter that no new applications or on-going applications shall be processed during this period for AOC certificates, approved Maintenance Organisations (AMOs), aircraft type certificate acceptance, aircraft registration and related, modifications and repairs, airworthiness certificates, maintenance clearance certificates among others.

The agency advised all existing operators/owners intending to renew their approval certificates and C of A/MCC during this period must submit applications and proof of payment electronically to the relevant officials.

The guidelines above shows that aviation in Nigeria is technically ground with little chance of the sector bouncing back even when the global aviation industry bounces back from the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic.

The implication of the NCAA’s directive is that many prospective airlines that were a the verge of obtaining their all important AOC can no longer that as they may need to wait six months or one year longer to get their certificate after the pandemic.

Pilots and crew that were expected to under recurrent simulator training abroad would not be able to fly because by not renewing their recurrence, they may not be allowed to go into the cockpit of an airplane because by rule, they are not certified to do so.

Aircraft that are due for maintenance remain on ground even long after the pandemic because Nigeria does not have recognized aircraft maintenance facilities to carry out repairs on big airplanes like B737; majority of which are in operation in the country.

There are indications that only few airplanes would remain on the sky owing to shortage of pilots, crew to man them.

Aviation expert and former Commandant, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Grp. Capt. John Ojikutu (RTd) told woleshadarenews that that are challenges the country would be faced with after the end of Coronavirus pandemic, describing it as handicap for most of the airlines in Africa.

His words, “In other countries like America and Europe, it is very easy for them because the facilities are there and within their environment. It is very easy for them to put their pilots as we are talking now, to be doing training. They are not flying now but they will be doing training. They will also be doing recurrent training on simulators. They will be doing it in anticipation that they are resuming work tomorrow or next week. We don’t have it”.

“That is what the NCAA should be looking at because the regulation tells them that the pilot must do recurrent training if you are on the ground for certain period including your aircraft if they are on ground for certain period, this is the type of maintenance the aircraft requires, this is the type of training the pilot requires”.

He urged NCAA to look at the airlines’ challenges which he said are going to keep them on the ground longer than expected by looking at how to get pilots out.

“We don’t have the facilities here. Ethiopian Airways, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco will not have that problem. Every other African country will have these challenges. What is the preparation we have put in place? These are the things NCAA should be looking at. If NCAA doesn’t do that, we are putting the lives of everybody in danger”.

An aircraft engineer, Sheri Kyari Nigeria to be smart and borrow a leaf from what the South African Civil Aviation did.

“What they did was to extend almost everybody’s documents by two or three months; that is if you have an aircraft that is due for airworthiness renewal, it means you can still airworthy for the next three months but that is predicated on the fact that your storage maintenance is doing well”.

“The industry will have to have this approval of staff going to these airlines to ensure that storage procedures are carried out. Those machines will still be airworthy despite the fact that they may have elapsed airworthiness renewal but operationally, they will still be airworthy”.

“Where we have issues is going to be issues of medicals. If we are looking at the end of this crisis in about two months, may be two weeks to the time, a proper arrangement can be put in place by aero medical centres to commence medicals for crews and pilots”.

Wole Shadare