NAAPE charges NCAA to reverse six aircraft start up regulation
National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) in Port Harcourt has criticised the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) planned regulation of a minimum of six aircraft for startup airlines, describing it as anti-business.
This is just as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked severely against the non-remittance of pensions and other benefits of its members in various organisations to the appropriate places as required by the law.
President of NAAPE, Engr. Abednego Galadima, made this known in his welcome address, at the symposium organised by NAAPE in Port Harcourt with the theme: ‘Effective Economic Regulation of the Aviation Industry As An Imperative For Safety And Workers Welfare.’
According to him, the association chose the theme in order to promote safety in the sector.
Galadima explained that there was no distinction for commercial airlines and General Aviation with the new regulation and called on the NCAA to reverse the policy for the good of the industry.
“The takeoff point for six aircraft is huge and prohibitive. The NCAA should maintain the three minimum aircraft for operators. Nobody starts big and even life itself, one starts small. The NCAA should still sustain the three minimum aircraft for operators,” he said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) speaking through its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero who kicked severely against the non-remittance of pensions and other benefits of its members in various organisations specifically accused some airlines of deducting pensions and other benefits from pilots and engineers in the sector, but alleged that these deductions are not appropriately remitted by operators.
To checkmate the act, the organised labour said that very soon, it would commence an action to reverse the situation and ensured that workers’ welfare and pensions are remitted accordingly.
He lamented that some of the airline operators treat the pilots and engineers poorly adding that while the operators denied the pilots and engineers the rights to join any unions or associations of their choice, the airline operators form and belong to various bodies locally and internationally.
He said, “The continued deployment of union bursting and union resisting measures by some employers within the sector is unacceptable. It is contradictory that aviation companies will hurriedly register with the various unions and associations of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), which is good, but at the same time deny their workers’ rights to belong to unions that bring together workers in the industry.”
Also speaking, Engr. Roland Ahmed of 7 Star Hangar, in his presentation, decried the current situation of Nigerian airlines.
Ahmed specifically said that the policy of six aircraft for start up airline operators by NCAA was not well-thought-out and warned that it may hurt the industry.
He said that why the policy was successful in the banking industry, it may fail in the sector, urging the government to look inward to address the situation.
He added, “The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will not give you the minimum aircraft you have to start with, but individual aviation country would look at its economy, purchasing power, strength and its Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) before coming out with any law or policy for operators.
“In our current circumstance today, the feasibility is difficult. We are testing the regulations. Let’s see where it will take us, but I think we may have a rethink at some point and see how we could go about it.”
