Domestic Carriers Can’t Meet IOSA Requirements – Expert

A member of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, (NAAPE) Sheri Kyari, has expressed doubt over the compliance of the country’s airlines to the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Kyari said unless the federal government comes to the aid of the airlines, they won’t be able meet the January 1,2015 deadline as set by IATA for the continent carriers.

IATA in conjunction with African governments had earlier in 2013 ordered all the continents carriers to be IOSA complaint in a bid to boost safety in their operations.

IATA in its statistics claimed that commercial African aviation contributed merely three per cent for the total commercial aviation in the world but decried that it had 20 per cent of global accidents in 2012.

IATA believes that with the compliance of the carriers to IOSA, accidents would be reduced in the continent’s airspace while passengers would be comfortable while on board.

Kyari said it would be difficult for the domestic airlines to gather the financial power to go through the process without some levels of assistance from the government.

He, however, observed that the safety compliance was good for the industry and the economy as it would improve economies of Nigeria while issuance premium paid by the operators too would equally be reduced.

NAAPE member insisted that for the airlines to be compliant, the government should give them some waivers in their operations while also making aviation fuel cheaper and available for them and wondered how new entrants like discover airlines would be able to comply with the directive before the end of the year.

According to him, it might be extremely difficult for indigenous airlines to comply with the deadline, which is about 12 months from now except if the government steps in to assist them, they might be able to meet up but on their own resources, it’s going to be a bit difficult to meet up because I don’t know how they are going to muzzle the financial power to achieve this compliance.

“IATA/IOSA safety standards are definitely the one that would make passengers sit down in an aircraft sleep well, it’s an assurance of safety in the air. It’s just like the category one that we are talking about because we had it”.