Nigerian oldest domestic airline, Aero Contractors has been approved by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to carry out C- Checks on Boeing 737 classics aircraft.
This new development would however bring down capital flight from the economy, as many of the airlines operating the type of aircraft within Nigeria, West and Central Africa would be encouraged to carry out the maintenance in the newly extended facility located in Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Speaking on the latest innovation to bring the ailing airline out of the woods, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officers (MD/CEO) of the airline, Captain Ado Sanusi who said “the management of the airline has refused to be daunted by the challenges, but has rather committed to meeting the demands of survival with professional and business minded doggedness,” revealed that the efforts are beginning to bear fruits as “ the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has with effect from September 12, 2017 approved the Aero Contractor’s Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) for C-Check on the B737 Classic.”
Described the development as a major instrument for the airline’s turn around, Sanusi said operators of such aircraft can now carry out such maintenance at Aero Contractors’ hangar in Nigeria even with reduction in downtime for such checks.
Disclosing that it costs about $1.8 and $2million about N800million to carry out a C-Check on a B737 Classic, depending on which country it would be carried out, Sanusi said with the new maintenance facility in place, operators of such aircraft could now carry out such maintenance in Nigeria by Aero Contractors reflecting in direct significant drop in Maintenance costs for them.
The CEO who commended NCAA for exhibiting professionalism before the certification, said the airline is committed to the professionalism and competency of its engineers.
On the personnel and partnership, it has to handle the maintenance; the Managing Director said the maintenance facility has entered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some technical organizations in Europe and South Africa even he added that the facility would continue to recruit more competent and professionals to carry out the maintenance.
Noting that the recruitment of the professionals would not be based on nationality but experience and competence, said the facility would continue to recruit more personnel as the need arises.
On the cost of the facility, the CEO stated that the facility which its expansion started on July 30, 2017 is an improvement of existing facility at a cost of N60million.
He said the extension would allow aircraft meant for maintenance to be brought in away from every element.
Sanusi who however appealed to federal government to grant the maintenance facility Free Trade Zone status which would guarantee it to import airport, tools and spare parts from anywhere in the world with little or no bottleneck from the Customs.
