Air crashes: FG flies in Italian experts

The Federal Government is carrying out an urgent screening of all Augusta Westland 109 helicopters in Navy’s fleet after one of its helicopters crashed on December 15, killing the governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, a former National Security Adviser, Gen Andrew Azazi and four others.
The ill-fated helicopter, named ‘helo 07’ was among the helicopters purchased from a European firm, Augusta Westland of Italy.
SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports that the Navy invited the experts from Italy to carry out on audit on its fleet last week.
The team of aviation experts from the Augusta Westland comprising engineers and one pilot were in Lagos on Wednesday to screen the helicopters for possible fault or damage.
As a result of this, all her helicopters in Warri have been flown to Lagos.
When our correspondent contacted the Director of Information of the Nigerian Navy, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu, he confirmed the screening exercise.
He said, “The Augusta representatives were in Lagos during the week. Two engineers and one pilot came from Italy to do that. That was why two AW 109 helicopters flew to Lagos.”

This is coming just as the Federal Government has launched a fresh intervention fund, which would help airline operators acquire new planes without any cash payment following a rash of air crashes in the country.

A Dana plane that crashed on June 3 in Lagos killed all its 153 passengers while the Governor of Taraba State, Mr. Danbaba Suntai, has been bed-ridden in a German hospital for over a month, following the crash of his private aircraft.

This fresh breath, a tripartite arrangement, involves the Federal Government, the airline operators and aircraft manufacturers.

But unlike the Bank of Industries and Central Bank of Nigeria-managed N200bn Aviation Intervention Fund, where loans were given to airline operators; now, each airline would get aircraft directly from manufacturers, paid for by the Federal Government.

As a result of lack of adequate capital, several airline operators depend heavily on ageing aircraft that were abandoned by other foreign airlines.

Apart from one or two domestic operators, the average age of most aircraft that fly the Nigerian domestic airspace is more than 20 years. The average age of the planes in the fleet of one particular operator is 34 years.

Mr. Joe Obi, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, confirmed FG’s new policy to SUNDAY PUNCH, in a telephone interview on Friday in Abuja.

He said, “We (the ministry) have interacted with Nigerians and we have seen that one of their major concerns is the dearth of new aircraft in the aviation industry.

“The intervention will address this. No airline operator will receive cash. It is going to be a tripartite arrangement.

“The Federal Government will make the money available. Aircraft manufacturers will deliver the aircraft to the airline operators through the Ministry of Aviation.

“The operators that will benefit from this intervention will meet specified conditions. Government will also specify how the airlines are going to repay the money. It is not a free gift. There will be strict guidelines.

“This is how the intervention is being structured: We want to make sure that government’s intervention has direct impact in the industry and on the users.”

Earlier in the year, the Federal Government had through the CBN and the Bank of Industry given N200bn to the operators for a bailout operation.

The fund, approved by the CBN and managed by the BOI, was meant to catalyse the financing of the real sector of the Nigerian economy.

It was also meant to serve as a credit enhancement instrument to improve the financial position of the Deposit Money Banks; stimulate the operations of the benefiting companies as well as help them generate employment, and enhance the living standards of the citizens.

Findings by our correspondents revealed that 10 airlines benefitted from the scheme, receiving a total of N86.7bn for refinancing of their debt overhang and for working capital.

Among the 10 airlines, Air Nigeria was the highest beneficiary with N35bn. But it has suspended operations. There had been allegations that the fund had been abused by some of the airlines.

This might have influenced the Federal Government to come up with the new cashless intervention.

On the old debt, Obi said, “It is the CBN and the Bank of Industry that will determine the modalities for recovering the debts.

“However, what we are working on now is a new kind of intervention whose structure and character are different from the earlier one. The ministry was not involved in the administration of that fund.”

Besides, the new policy thrust of providing new aircraft to airlines, the minister’s aide said the Federal Government would not go back on its earlier resolve to float a new national carrier with 30 new aircraft.

He said, “The template and the framework for the new national carrier are ready, but we need approval from the presidency to take off. We are on track and once the approval is secured, we will take off.”

He also noted that the ministry was awaiting the final presidential nod for the take-off of the fresh intervention fund.

SUNDAY PUNCH had last week reported that at least 18 Nigerian-owned planes and 10 aircraft engines belonging to domestic airlines operators had been abandoned in maintenance facilities across Europe and Africa owing to lack of funds to settle the accrued repair bills.