By JIDE OWATUNMISE

The new Bill which among others compels Nigeria Government Officials and Government Contractors to fly in Nigeria Airlines is a commendable move but there are some issues that need to be addressed effectively before the bill can be justified to become an Act.

Firstly, why did Nigerians prefer to fly with foreign Airlines?

In Nigeria, it is an established fact that Wires and Cables produced in Nigeria are of higher quality and durability than the imported ones despite the high preference of Nigerians for imported goods.

Every human being wants the mode and means of transportation that can guarantee Safety and Security. This is the reason why many travellers now prefer to travel by air instead of roads because of the high rate of insecurity on the roads.

In the 90s, there were frequent cases of air crashes but this has been virtually eliminated now due to improved monitoring of standards and consequence management. Air crashes were rare occurrences with the foreign airlines.

Despite the low rate of crashes involving Nigerian airlines, a lot still needs to be done to match the confidence people have in the foreign airlines with Nigeria airlines.

Few years ago, I boarded an aircraft from Abuja to Uyo but what I observed was not pleasant.The interior of the aircraft was nothing better than the very old Luxury Buses shuttling Abuja and Onitsha markets. The leg room was not better than that of the Lagos Molue buses.

After the trip, I published an article in my Safe Driving Column in The Nation Newspaper about the need for the airlines to upgrade and maintain a high standard inaccordance to the globalpractices. About a week after the article was published, it was reported that the door of an aircraft of the same airline I complained about fell off at the point of landing, though I did not mention the name.

Recently, I also had another experience in the aircraft of a very reputable airline in Nigeria. The interior leather was not as good as those in the Luxury buses of some transport companies in Nigeria. It was also obvious that the air-condition in the plane had a challenge.

Doing a comparative analysis, the foreign airlines are more standard outside and inside. They are also better maintained with the comfort and safety of the Passengers as priority.

Nobody wants to fly in an aircraft where his or her welfare and safety cannot be assured.

Before the Fly Nigeria Bill can be justified to become a law in Nigeria, there is a need to effectively address the following issues:

1.The purchase of aircraft by Nigeria airlines must be monitored to ensure they are not refurbished unsafe aircraft.

2.The aircraft must conform to global standards.

3.The process of certification of the aircraft to be used in Nigeria must be rigorous and Professional.

4.The Pilots must be assessed, certified and monitored.

5.The airworthiness of the aircraft must be monitored and ascertained, not only daily but before each flight.

6.The routine maintenance of the aircraft must be regular, monitored and assured.

7.The services offered right from Booking, to boarding and arrival must be monitored for compliance to global standards.

8.All the aircraft currently flying in Nigeria must be inspected by a team of local and foreign professionals for quality assurance.The aircraft that failed the test must be withdrawn from the Nigeria airspace.

9.Because of the high cost of aircraft acquisition despite the leasing facilities made available globally, there is a need for Nigeria Government to support local airlines with low interest loans to ease new aircraft acquisition.

10.Nigeria Government should be supporting the local Refineries to significantly reduce the price of Jet A1 for aircrafts just as also expected for the Petroleum products being used for road transportation in Nigeria.

With the above done and seen Nigerians to be well done, the level of confidence of Nigerians in the safety of the aircraft will increase greatly thereby boosting the patronage of the local airlines. Then, the Fly Nigeria Bill will be justified to become a law in Nigeria.

•Jide Owatunmise is Registrar/Chief Executive, Professional Driving and Safety Academy.

Tel: 08033216376. E-mail: roadsafetytrainers@yahoo.com