4 Airlines Get Sanctions by NCAA
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has sanctioned four(4) airlines operators for various degrees of violations. These airlines, which include both scheduled and non-scheduled operators, according to NCAA, ‘failed to meet up with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)’ as required by the apex regulatory aviation agency.
NCAA noted that the airlines were fined ranging from N1.5 million to N2 million. While the operator involved in deliberate violation of the regulations had its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) suspended for 180 days.
An official statement issued and signed by the general manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, informed that during a spot inspection carried out by NCAA’s Aviation Safety Inspectors (ASI) on the airlines, a number of deficiencies, including non-implementation of training programmes of maintenance personnel as required, irregularities concerning helicopter flight identification, deliberate violation of the regulations, performing maintenance programme without necessary approval and using outdated manual were discovered.
According to NCAA, all these findings were found to be in violation of the regulations. However, the agency assured that the affected personnel in question in the employment of one of the Airlines are trained accordingly.
“NCAA wishes to re-assure all stakeholders that it will continue to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are strictly followed. The agency expects strict compliance with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations in the future and violations will be viewed seriously,’’ the statement read in part.
Meanwhile, following a long ranging trade dispute between the NCAA and two aviation unions comprising Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN ) and National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE ), the unions have vowed to declare a state of emergency in the agency by January 1st this year, if their demands for staff promotion are not met.
The unions disclosed their plans at the weekend in Lagos, claiming that the management of NCAA has taken them for granted with regards to the issues of promotion of NCAA staff. Speaking on the issue, chairman of Joint Action Committee, NCAA, Comrade Lucky Izebhokun and chairman, NUATE, NCAA branch made it clear that NCAA management would be looking for trouble if they do not promote the staff of NCAA by the end of this year.
Comrade Izebhokun who hinted that the anxiety is so high while a lot of people have been highly discouraged in the system, said that there is the possibility that the aggrieved workers would pour out their mind on January 2, 2019.
Izebhokun said: “Now the management has so much relegated the staff of NCAA that they will be employing, doing secondment and transfer of people from other organisations to come and boss us. We have had issues with people being transferred from NAMA especially, because there is no promotion in NCAA, you will see now bossing the people in NCAA, we have told the management that we can no accept that”.