Comrade Sheri Ayuba Kyari is a former president of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) and presently the Head of Administration and Human Resources at 7Star Global Hangar Ltd, a company with focus on aircraft maintenance in Nigeria and other parts of Western Africa. In this interview by SHOLA ADEKOLA, the renowned aircraft engineer speaks on, among other things, preparations for flights resumption, the Federal Government having fixed June 21 for the reopening of five of the 22 airports in the country amid ongoing battle to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the latest announcement by the Federal Government, airlines had suspended flights for over two months with over 120 aircraft parked at the various airports. As an aircraft engineer, what do you make of the current state of the aircraft, having been on ground for so long?
Prior to the lockdown, the industry regulator, the NCAA (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority), had reeled out guidelines to all airlines and aircraft owners to ensure continuous airworthiness of their fleet by carrying out the required short-term and long-term storage preservation. The NCAA sent out details of such activities for airlines and aircraft owners to ensure the serviceability of all their airplanes during and after the lockdown. The announcement of resumption of domestic flights come 21 June will help airlines to do more in the area of function checks for serviceability and safety. Aviation, being on the Exclusive List, enjoys the privilege of being in the essential service block and so a few workers have been going to work to ensure the airworthiness of these airplanes and all navigational facilities and management of air traffic across the country.
Do you consider the planes airworthy and ready for flight resumption?
If all aircraft owners adhered to the aircraft manufacturers’ recommendations and the NCAA directives, their airplanes will definitely be airworthy. While many were at home perhaps relaxing, many aircraft maintenance engineers were busy ensuring that these aircraft remain airworthy by carrying out the short and long-term preservations. These activities involve, among other things, regular inspections around these airplanes to make sure all areas that will bring about corrosion, foreign objects ingestion are treated. Other areas available for birds and insects are cleaned and closed, engine runs/motoring are done to guarantee circulation and correct functioning of systems for oil, fuel, instruments, rotation of tyres, etc. Aircraft maintenance and operation are heavily regulated and no chances are taken to ensure optimum operation and safety.
In line with the safety standards, don’t you think all the parked planes need to go through the required checks to enable the NCAA re-certify them for operations?
Apart from those that would be due for the annual airworthiness inspections, the airplanes that are still within their annual airworthiness and are given the necessary maintenance, will not need re-certification. Airplanes are not like motor vehicles, they are under very tight regulations. That is why NCAA issued the Air Operators’ Letter informing airlines to engage in short term preservation maintenance/storage. In the course of this, operators are inspected by NCAA Airworthiness Inspectors to be sure they are carrying out such necessary procedures in accordance with the aircraft’ manufacturers’ documents. Therefore, before resumption of flights, NCAA will definitely check whatever has been done to guarantee the safety of these machines- they will be carrying human beings and nothing will be left to chance.
What is the cost of maintaining an aircraft?
Maintenance costs are tricky. Aircraft have different maintenance costs and so it is hard to safely quote a figure. Again, one will be looking at various levels of maintenance, from the basic to the overhaul level. And because maintenance is not done from one particular maintenance centre, it is a bit difficult to put a figure to maintaining an aircraft. The age of an aircraft will also not allow giving a figure as the cost of its maintenance. For instance, a B737 that is just five years old will cost less to maintain than a 10-year-old one. And while one airline may go to Aero, another may elect to leave the country for one reason or another. Foreign exchange also comes into play. Today, the exchange rate is about N450 to a United States dollar. This can impact differently on airlines and aircraft. But the general and international view for a B737 may be in the region of $2 million, inclusive of all levels of maintenance. A newspaper’s investigation in 2018 put the total cost of aircraft maintenance in Nigeria around $2.5 billion per year. That is huge and that is why some of us are happy with Aero and 7Star Global Hangar Ltd and their entrance into this core area to reduce the cost of maintenance for local airlines and aircraft owners.
With the closure of airports and suspension of flights for months, do you think aircraft owners will still be in a position to fund the maintenance of these aircraft?
One factor that we must bear in mind is that airlines and aircraft owners have continued to spend scarce resources to ensure that their planes are airworthy. This must have depleted their accounts and they will definitely need the support of the government to be able to continue to provide service for Nigerians and other nationals. They have workers to take care of and it is our prayer that many of them are not laid off when flights resume. Most importantly is the fact that our Naira has gone down too much and so whatever they had in the bank, without doing anything, must be depleted and since about 90 per cent of their expenditure is in dollars.
In view of the huge funding required to put aircraft, navigational aids and airports’ infrastructure to test after their abandonment for months, do you think airports and flights can resume on June 21?
Like I said earlier, these aircraft were not abandoned since the beginning of lockdown. They kept receiving maintenance during the period. However, a few other checks will be done within the grace period of three weeks. This would be used to conclude what has not been done, such as disinfection of the aircraft and ensuring that what will be needed to restructure the planes for post-COVID-19 flights are done for health and safety reasons.
For navigational aids, these have been in continuous use with the necessary maintenance going on. Air traffic controllers, air traffic engineers, licensed aircraft engineers and pilots fell into the category of essential service personnel during the lockdown period.
For airports, the airport authorities are also set, as they used the lockdown period to disinfect many of the airports, especially the four major gateways of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. We hope the others would be given a good disinfection before June 21. On a general note, all the airports should be ready for use on or before that date.
Do you think the airlines and aviation agencies will need a bailout to handle all these financial exigencies?
Definitely, they will need the support of the government. A situation where airlines are spending without earning, such as paying salaries, no matter how small, would be draining their purses. Therefore, a bailout would be needed but not in the form that was given before. The modalities for the recovery of the bailout funds should be well determined before the funds are released to beneficiaries.
What do you think are the effects of the long break on aviation workers, especially pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and other core personnel? Can you give an estimate of how much the sector has lost to the lockdown?
Aviation workers are like any other workers. The only difference is that their practice is highly regulated and their training is more regular. Many airlines will not allow those who did not go to work to just jump into the aircraft and start flying. Many will have to go through the classrooms before taking to flying or maintaining airplanes. But for those whose currency is still valid and they have been going to work, they will continue their flying or maintenance duties. For those whose licences have expired, they will apply for renewal and will be processed accordingly.
It will be a hard to make a conjecture as regards the losses that have been incurred by this sector. Aviation is a big part of the Nigerian economy with large downstream activities. At any rate, the industry has lost hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of Naira.
What strategy should be used to return the sector to profitability?
The aviation industry is a sub-sector of the Nigerian economy and it suffers like any other sector and sometimes even more, because of the nature of this transportation mode. It is only when people have spare money to travel that they are likely to think of air travel. To recharge the industry will depend on the government spending more to support this and other businesses to stimulate the entire economy. Even if the government supports the industry with a bailout and aircraft are available, without air travellers, it will be a daunting task for the industry to pick up. The government should pay salaries on time, pay contractors who will resume work at sites and release budgets for trainings, sports, etc.
How long do you think it will take the industry to recover?
Again, I may sound a bit different from the predictions of many others who believe that the industry will take a while to recover. I think domestic operation will recover within three months if the current exchange rate appreciates in favour of the Naira. It will support the procurement of aircraft spares and return and keep the industry afloat for profit. If the government helps to refloat the economy, Nigerians are travellers and love tourism a lot, they will get back to the air. I just pray that air fares remain affordable for all.
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