By Louis Ibah
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given its clearance for the commencement of commercial Helicopter operation at the Abuja airport. Spokesman for the NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye in a statement yesterday said “a letter has since been dispatched to all concerned operators duly certified by the Regulatory Authority to commence operations in and out of Abuja forthwith.”
It will be recalled that the National Security Adviser recently had placed a ban on commercial or chartered helicopter operations into Abuja airport, thus forcing investors who hoped to provide shuttle services between Abuja – Kaduna – Minna corridors to lose billions of naira in the process. “The restriction has been rescinded and all operators are hereby enjoined to embark on their regular operations as approved,” said Adurogboye.
“All operators should therefore carry out their operations in line with Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs),” he added. Meanwhile, labour unions in Nigeria’s aviation sector may shut down the operations of Arik Air over the failure of the airline’s new management to re-instate some sacked workers and for baring workers from being a part of any union in the industry.
Daily Sun learnt that the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), have concluded plans to picket Arik Air today (Thursday), a development that would lead to the shut down of the airline operations nationwide.
The General Secretary of NUATE, Mr. Olayinka Abioye in an interview with journalists at the union’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos accused the new management of Arik Air of intolerance to unionism.
He alleged that the new management through a circular recently warned the workers not to join the unions in the industry and had refused to address all the pending issues affecting workers welfare in the airline.