More choices for air travellers

Air travellers on the domestic scene are in for more choices as DiscoveryAir, which newly got its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), begins flight operations Monday. The AOC is a pre-requisite for an airline operations.

Speaking during the presentation of the AOC to the airline at Lagos airport, Benedict Adeyileka, acting director general, NCAA, urged the airline to comply with all safety standards, adding that such was the bedrock of an airline.

He advised the airline not to wait till the last minute before they plan for essential things, explaining that the regulatory body may not be in the position to help at that time.

“Do not make the mistake of other airlines, safety has to be right; our expectation is that you will maintain the standards on which you got your AOC, it is world standard because of the Category One, you need to take planning as essential in your operations.

“I am happy that your airline has broken the jinx of other airlines by having all-locals in your crew. Most airlines believe that until they have expatriates, they have not started. There is need to respect your staff, treat them well and you will get the best out of them.

“We also have to grow our people, we have to train them; although, aviation is an international business, we cannot completely shut out our doors against foreigners, but there are international laws guiding this, any nation who shuns its nationals will not progress. There are government policies that regulate the employment of expatriates in Nigeria but are not enforced,” he said.

Also speaking, Tunde Babalola, managing director of the airline, disclosed that the airline will commence operations on June 9, 2014, adding that safety was key to their operations before commercial.

“There are two things, safety is primary, commercial is secondary. We are assuring our passengers of taking off and landing safely, there will be good customer service and will operate Lagos-Abuja, Lagos-Port-Harcourt, Abuja and Yola, and then go regional.

“We are expecting two more aircraft, we will add four more aircraft before the end of the year,” he said.

He explained that the airline went through rigourous processes to procure the AOC, saying that its management promise was to abide by all regulations as laid down by the NCAA.

The 500 flight hours standard for pilots is not too much as envisaged in some quarters, he said, adding that it is the international standards that must be maintained in Nigeria due to the Category One certification.

DiscoveryAir has put in place a scheme to help young Nigerian pilots, he disclosed.

Abdusalami Mohammed, managing director of DiscoveryAir, said before the airline started planning to go into operations, its management carried out a research on the sector to know where and why some airlines had failed in the past, saying “we have learnt lessons from past airlines. We will take time to plan financials and maintenance schedules.”