Nigeria's Aviation News Headlines for Friday December 2, 2016
Thank God it’s Friday!
This week has been a not too cheerful one for Nigeria’s largest airline ; Arik Air.
The airline was reportedly targeted for a robbery attack and as that was being
investigated, the remains of a stowaway was found on the airline’s aircraft in South
Africa. Two investigations in one week!
Please read the headlines and follow the links to read the stories in full.
NCAA Investigating Death of Stowaway on Arik Flight
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), says it has initiated investigation to determine the identity of the dead stowaway found in South Africa on an Arik Air flight.
Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Thursday that the authority would take necessary action after the investigations were concluded.
Adurogboye said the investigation was with the collaboration of Arik Air and the South African Authorities.
“The matter is still being investigated and decision will be taken after.
“The investigation is being carried out by NCAA through the active involvement of the airline itself and with the authorities in South Africa,’’ he said.
Also, the Acting General Manager, Public Affairs of FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said that the authorities were yet to establish the identity of the stowaway.
Yakubu explained that information available to the authority suggested that the said body was already decomposed.
According to her, it was possible that a body could decompose in a six hour flight.
“Whatever the case, there is an investigation going on and that is why we cannot pre-empt the outcome.
“We have asked Arik to investigate to be able to determine where the stowaway boarded the flight from".
Blame NCAA for
Frequent Stowaways at Airports – Aviation Experts
Foremost aviation expert and former Commandant, Murtala
Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) has said that
the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should be blamed for the frequent
stowaways recorded in the country in recent times.
Captain Ojikutu, who made the observation yesterday at the
2016 fourth quarter edition of the ‘Breakfast Meeting’ organised by the
Aviation Round Table (ART) at Golfview Hotel in Lagos, stated that NCAA has the
responsibility to protect Nigerians and all airlines, adding that if they are
not doing so, then it means that they are not doing their job.
Ojikutu said “The only authority in the country as far as I
am concerned is the NCAA and not the Ministry of Aviation”, adding that if NCAA
is not performing, then something is wrong somewhere.
The aviation expert, who lamented the incessant stowaways
incidents recorded in the system in recent times, further pointed out that
there are lots of knowledge available but the industry is not tapping from it,
just as he queried why stowaway incidences are prevalent in Arik air.
We had Information that Arik was Bringing in N40m, Suspect ConfessesThe 30-year-old robbery suspect, James Peters, who was arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, last Monday, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, after three members of his gang were shot dead by police, has disclosed that his gang was on a mission to rob Arik Airline of N40 million.
The suspect, said to be a native of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, confessed that his gang got information through an insider that the airline was bringing the money onboard one of its aircraft that would land at the Port Harcourt Air Force Base.
Peters explained that his elder brother, identified as Newman and the leader of the gang, brought the information to the gang, claiming that his brother then contacted the gang’s second-in-command known as Timi and two others, who he identified as Michael and Depreye.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/information-arik-bringing-n40m-suspect-confesses/https://newtelegraphonline.com/targeted-n40m-arik-air-force-base-robbery/
Colombia Crash Airline Suspended
Bolivia’s aviation authority has suspended the operating licence of LaMia, the charter airline whose plane crashed on Monday killing 71 people.
It was LaMia’s only operational plane, and had been part-owned by the pilot.
The aircraft carrying Brazil’s Chapecoense football team went down near Medellin, Colombia. There were only six survivors.
Colombian authorities say evidence is growing that the plane crashed because it ran out of fuel as it tried to land.
LaMia was only set up last year, and has three aircraft – two of which are being repaired.
The British-made BAE 146 Avro RJ85 aircraft had no fuel when it plunged into a mountainside near Medellin, Colombian aviation chief Alfredo Bocanegra said, corroborating audio of the pilot asking to land because of a fuel shortage and electric failure.
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