The Federal Government has been urged to set up an Aviation Manpower Development Board (AMDB), in the aviation sector of the country in order to address the growing challenge of dearth of skilled and efficient personnel facing the industry.

The Chief Executive Officer, Belujane Konzult, and former General Manager, Public Affairs, of the liquidated Nigeria Airways, Mr. Chris Aligbe made the call in Asaba, Delta State.

Speaking at the just- concluded delegates’ conference of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) in the state capital, on the topic: Human Capital Development and Succession Planning in the Aviation Sector, Prospects and Challenges, Aligbe said the Federal Government should replicate the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) by establishing AMDB in order to meet up with the manpower requirement of the industry.

He stated that the absence of a well articulated policy on aviation manpower and lack of funding for manpower development are impediments to human capital development in the sector adding that there should be a body to cater for the manpower need of the industry. ”

Establishing a manpower development board is the right way to go, unless they do it, we won’t get anywhere in the aviation industry. There must be a body that has to take a global look on the manpower requirement in the industry, plan for manpower development, have a data base, do a research and know which way to go. If you leave it to individual organisations, it won’t work.”

Aligbe noted that though the industry has a training college for pilots and engineers in Zaira, it lacked the manpower resource to training people in other essential areas required by the sector pointing out that the college may not be able to churn out the manpower requirement of the aviation sector due to the huge sum involve in training pilots.

“No, NCAT is just for pilot and engineer, in the area of financial management and commercial management, grand operations and some other technical areas and the commercial aspect of the industry, they are not there and so many other areas.

And then the next thing you will find is that they can’t train enough pilot that we will require and the cost of pilot training is so high which is about 8 million naira for you to train a pilot, that is why we need that aviation manpower development fund that can do what PTDF is doing in the petroleum sector. “

Speaking also at the event, Deputy Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Festus Ebeya, stated that the Nigeria College Aviation Technology needs properly funded to be able to acquire the right equipment to train pilots and other personnel in the industry adding that the federal government should make more funds available to the college.

”In terms of manpower, we are suffering the dearth of manpower. I thank God that Captain Araba was able to see that we got some pilots out of Zaria, but what about other professionals in the industry? How much competence do these people have?

Because we are almost at the last end of the road. The few ones that the industry inherited from Nigeria Airways, I don’t think in the next 2 or 3 years they will remain there, they must have voluntarily retired. We still need to do more in terms of training to ensure there is sustainability in the industry”

“People go to South Africa, they want to become pilots within 2 years they are back, we don’t have that because I still know that in as much as we still give kudos to the present administration for sustaining training in NCAT, I don’t think they are graduating as at when due because of lack of training equipment.

So the training institution must be well funded to ensure that at all times we don’t suffer dearth of manpower requirement. So I don’t think the aviation industry has done much in the area of manpower requirement and training” he said.

The world celebrates civil aviation day

International Civil Aviation Day was celebrated across the world on the December 7, 2011 in order to raise awareness of the importance of international civil aviation and the role that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) plays in international air transport.

The organization is a United Nations (UN) body responsible for developing international standards for aviation safety.

ICAO, with support from governments, organizations, businesses and individuals, actively promotes International Civil Aviation Day through various activities and events.  This day is celebrated globally, including Nigeria through various activities such as seminars, published material, educational lectures, classroom activities, and news announcements on international civil aviation topics related to the day.

ICAO was established on December 7, 1944, to secure international co-operation and uniformity in civil aviation matters.

The International Services Transit Agreement and the International Air Transport Agreement were also signed.

In 1994 ICAO established International Civil Aviation Day by to mark the organization’s 50th anniversary.

This observance aims to generate and reinforce global awareness of the importance of international civil aviation in the social and economic development .

The day also commemorates the ICAO’s role in promoting the safety, efficiency and regularity of international air transport.

In 1996 the UN General Assembly proclaimed December 7 as International Civil Aviation Day, in accordance with an ICAO initiative and with the Canadian Government’s assistance. The assembly urged governments and organizations to observe the day.

ICAO is a UN body that works closely with other United Nations members including the World Meteorological Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the Universal Postal Union, the World Health Organization and the International Maritime Organization.

ATSSSAN president calls for unity among aviation unions

…Re-Elected for Second Tenure.

Members of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) have been urged to unite to fight the social ills in the aviation sector in the country for the emancipation of workers from the tutu leg of injustice.

Speaking after being sworn in for the second term of four years as the ATSSSAN President, Comrade Benjamin Okewu who described his election as that destined by God, called on chairmen of all branches of ATSSSAN to work for the overall enhancement of workers welfare.

According to Okewu, it will be difficult for any association to grow or fight for the well being of its members where acrimony and rancor was the order of the day and enjoined everyone to desist from anti-association activities in the interest of the people.

He declared that union’s agitation for a comprehensive road map and plan for the development for the development of the aviation sector will not stop until the road map was made to reflect the various tangible expectations of stakeholders. He urged the government to learn from the unpopular decision of liquidation of the Nigeria Airways to be harnessed into the aviation road map.

The ATSSSAN President called on the government to conclude the process for the final payment of all outstanding indebtedness to Nigeria Airways workers immediately to put an end to incessant deaths.

According to Okewu, “ATSSSAN will not stop calling for the review and cancellation of various concession agreements that are skewed in favour of the concessionaires to the detriment of the organization, workers and Nigerian people”

While commending the steps taken by the aviation minister over the Bilateral Air Service Agreement with the British government, Okewu expressed delight over the commencement of work aimed at remodeling some airports across the country saying it was as a result of the workers cries and agitations which will never be in vain.