Airline operators cautioned over use of jumbo aircraft

Following the economic challenges confronting the country’s aviation sector which has forced many airlines out of business, airline operators have been advised to acquire light and fuel efficiency aircraft to boost operations.

Speaking on why domestic airlines collapse within first ten years of existence, the immediate past general secretary of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Mohammed Tukur identified the use of ‘jumbo’ aircraft meant for six hours flight aircraft for an hour flight on domestic routes by the domestic airlines.

According to Tukur, the only way domestic airlines will survive in the country will be to acquire less fuel consumption aircraft such as jets while management of various airlines should stop living expensive lives with monies meant for operations of airlines adding that some management staff of some airlines received too much as salaries.

“There is need for airlines to change their aircraft types, they should get JET aircraft and not these B737 and light aircraft. If they have these less fuel consumption aircraft, it will reduce their burdens.”

According to the former director of operations, Chanchangi airline, the B737 aircraft were costly to maintain adding that there was no way an operator could survive under the present economic situation.

“Most of the airlines over stretch themselves from the beginning before they acquire the AOC they start paying salaries for workers and people believe that there is money then later the kind of live will haunt them. Most airlines operators take money out of the system. And put it in another business. In aviation, the moment you move money out of operation then you are killing the operation completely because the airlines are individually owned and somebody will just take the money without accountability.”