Poor Maintenance Of Aircrafts: Senate Warns Of Imminent Air Mishap

The Senate on Monday warned against looming air mishap as a result of the poor state of aircraft being used to convey passengers by the operators.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who raised this alarm while addressing newsmen, said many of the operators have started cutting corners because the Federal Government was not helping their bid to put their aircraft in good conditions.

Adeyemi said apart from increasing the N4 billion bailout to the sector, the Federal Government should also cancel import duties on spare parts operators are bringing in to the country.

He said the issue of Value Added Tax should also not be applicable to the aviation sector if the airline operators would remain in business without disaster.

The Chairman said: “In most, nations there are special considerations for airline operators because they must not cut corners.

“If the part is needed in three weeks time and it is not available and the operators decide to be managing, well you know what will happen.

“Let me explain what they are doing in some African countries so that you can understand what we are saying, because when you are convinced with your facts we would say these are the facts that we have gathered.

“It is left for those who are in the industry to dispute our position but these are the information we have gathered.

“I want to put it on record that there is danger in flying in Nigeria today.

“There are instances of some planes skidding off the runway.

“We must support the airline operators pending when we have our own national carrier.

“But if we want to continue with the operators like most nations are doing today, we cannot afford to leave them on their own because they will want to be in business and struggle to make profit, and by extension, there will be cutting corners.”