NAMA Calls for Local Production of Aviation Fuel

• NAMA Calls for Local Production of Aviation Fuel

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, has asked stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to begin local production of aviation fuel in line with the Nigerian content development initiative of the Federal Government.

According to Akinkuotu, due to the high cost of aviation fuel, it accounts for over 30 per cent of the operational costs of domestic carriers.

“Apart from cost, the supply of the product is sometimes epileptic, resulting in flight disruptions. The production of aviation fuel, otherwise known as Jet A1, in Nigeria will regularise supply, bring about reduced cost, which will also translate to lower air fares by airlines,” he said.

The NAMA MD was quoted to have stated this at the annual Health, Safety, Security and Environment forum of PSRG-Richardson Oil and Gas in Lagos, where he spoke on ‘Aviation safety in Nigeria – Challenges, issues and solutions’.

He stated that the high costs of aircraft maintenance was atrocious, largely because these costs were domesticated in dollars.

Akinkuotu, however, noted that efforts were being made by the Federal Government to set up a Maintenance, Repairs and Operations facility as part of strategic plans to reduce capital flight, lower the number of times aircraft leave the country for repairs and lower the cost of maintenance.

He also stated that air travel in the country had become safer, adding that accidents had remained at zero level.

The NAMA boss added, “The recent pronouncement by the United States Federal Aviation Administration that Nigeria’s air carriers’ operations are in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s standards is good news that rekindles hope in the sector.

“The aviation sector in Nigeria today is all together safe as accidents have remained at zero level for six consecutive years with serious or reportable incidents at acceptable levels. This does not, however, presuppose that there are no challenges and issues in the sector, which deserve mention and require adequate attention.”

Akinkuotu said as an airspace manager, NAMA had embarked on the modernisation of airspace infrastructure through the installation of Instrument Landing System; Distance Measuring Equipment; Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range; and Wide Area Multilateration for low flying aircraft surveillance and control.