To bolster safety and security within Nigeria’s aviation sector, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,
Festus Keyamo, has initiated measures to blacklist negligent airline regulators across all levels. This proactive stance follows a recent incident involving a United Nigeria Airlines plane mistakenly landing at Asaba International Airport instead of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA).
Keyamo announced the decision after a high-level technical meeting with key aviation figures, including the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Managing Director of Federal Airport Authority Nigeria (FAAN), the Director General of Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The Minister issued a directive requiring all wet leases entering the country to include Nigerian pilots and cabin crew. This decision aims to address concerns related to unfamiliarity with Nigerian terrain and communication issues arising from the use of foreign pilots and crew.
His statement reads:
“To assure and reassure Nigerians that we are taking every step as a ministry to ensure the safety of lives of Nigerians who decide to travel by air.
“For the recent incidents that happened recently, some minor, and others classified as serious incidents although there was no fatalities. The NSIB is investigating these incidents and I have directed them that within 10 days from today they must submit their report of the incidents and what actually transpired.
“However, we have some preliminary and precautionary steps that are being taken by the ministry and the regulator. The incident that happened yesterday where a plane bound for Abuja ended up in Asaba, we have listened to the transcript produced by NAMA from the tower to the pilot and it was clear that when the pilot was taking off from Lagos he was headed to Asaba not Abuja
“There was no weather problem in Abuja yesterday, it was a question of a wet lease plane where the pilot and crew were all foreigners not Nigerians so they were not familiar with the Nigeria terrain.
“From the transcript we heard the tower kept asking the pilot, confirm again that you are going to Abuja not Asaba, the Pilot replied no I am going to Asaba before they took off the tower asked again and it was the same response. It was purely an in-house administrative issue. We have asked them to interview the dispatcher who dispatched that plane and where sanctions should apply we should apply sanctions.
“We have agreed that henceforth all wetleases coming into Nigeria, you must have a Nigeria pilot seated on the jump seat with the foreign pilot.
“I also directed the NCAA to within the next 72 hours summon all pilots and crew operating wet leases in Nigeria for further briefing. The NCAA must sanction the airline regulators who are negligent and made an error of judgment withdrawing their licenses and blacklisting them. We have also decided that the cabin crew of the wet leases must be Nigerians to ease interaction between the passengers and cabin crews.”
In response to the recent flight diversion incident, Minister Keyamo instructed the NSIB to provide a comprehensive report within 10 days on all investigations into air accidents and the reasons behind them. He emphasized that these measures are part of the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the safety of air travelers.
Keyamo explained, “For the recent incidents that happened recently, some minor, and others classified as serious incidents although there was no fatalities. The NSIB is investigating these incidents, and I have directed them that within 10 days from today, they must submit their report.”
Regarding the Asaba incident, he clarified that it was an administrative issue involving a wet lease plane with foreign pilots unfamiliar with the Nigerian terrain. To prevent such occurrences in the future, Minister Keyamo mandated that all wet leases arriving in Nigeria must have a Nigerian pilot onboard alongside the foreign pilot.
He further directed the NCAA to summon all pilots and crew operating wet leases in Nigeria within the next 72 hours for additional briefing. Negligent airline regulators are to face sanctions, including license withdrawal and blacklisting.
In addressing flight cancellations and delays, Minister Keyamo acknowledged the challenges faced by Nigerian passengers. He mentioned the formation of a committee to enforce compensation laws for affected passengers and emphasized the importance of passenger satisfaction and air traveler safety.
Additionally, he ordered the DG NCAA to compile a weekly catalog of canceled flights.
