Green Africa Airways (GAA) has disclosed that plans are underway by the airline to establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility to reduce the cost of aircraft repair in Nigeria.
Babawande Afolabi, the chief executive officer of the airline announced the feat in Lagos at a press conference.
Afolabi disclosed that the airline had received approval from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to carry out line maintenance of its equipment, adding that its long-term plan was to delve into full-blown maintenance of aircraft.
He added that the company has also recruited engineers and other critical personnel for the purpose.
“As you are aware, we started flying way back in 2021 and we have been given the approval by the NCAA for our own line maintenance. So, we got that last August. So, within a year of being in operation, we got the approval for our maintenance.
“It was part of the plans before we started flying. So, we have recruited seasonal engineers right from day one and they went into extensive training with the top service providers. So, it was a sort of seamless process to take over the maintenance.
“Over the next two years, our plan is for Green Africa to be able to do its own maintenance end to end. Right now, we can do everything to TA Check, 5,000 flying hours. After flying your aircraft for about two years, there is usually a check you have to conduct, but here now, we can do that.
“The next thing for us now is to have the capability in terms of infrastructure and the approval from the authority to be able to do full-blown base maintenance. That is in the works, but it takes time. You need to gain experience, approval; and infrastructure. Those are in the pipelines.”, he said
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The airline’$ ‘gfuture’, a training platform launched by the airline in 2022, has produced the first set of 13 graduates in various fields in aviation as they were presented with certificates of completion of courses on Tuesday in Lagos.
Afolabi announced 13 persons who were trained as second officers, ground services personnel, specialists and turnaround coordinator as the first set of people to benefit from the initiative.
He tasked the new talents to show commitment, tenacity and full dedication to their jobs and advised them to invest in people just as the airline had invested in them.
“If you do not have any support around you, it will be difficult to achieve your dreams, just like someone invested in you, you will need to invest in others, just like someone believed in you, you will need to believe in others”, he said.
Speaking further on the gFuture, Afolabi said: “We announced our plan last year to train talents over the next decade across multiple disciplines within the airline business
“We are pleased to let you know that we have our first cohort this year. We are especially proud of being able to accomplish this despite just being for less than two years of operation
“Everyone in the cohort is largely ab-initio that got an opportunity to start building their careers from the ground up as a result of the gFuture Initiative
In his speech, Kayode Ajiboye, the immediate past Director, of Airworthiness Standards, NCAA, said, charged the graduands to be good ambassadors of not only Green Africa but of Nigeria.
“I am proud to be part of this programme today, Green Africa has a vision and this is it. Let your dream be the bigger dream of Green Africa and Nigeria, we must create the Nigeria that we want, this is the beginning for you, you are the future, be diligent, be tenacious and never give up”, he said.
