NCAA plans to install trackers in planes

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is contemplating legislation that will compel airlines to install automatic flight information reporting system in their aircraft.
NCAA Director-General Captain Fola Akinkuotu said the law would make it mandatory for domestic airlines to comply with the installation of the safety equipment on their aircraft, as it is done in other parts of the world.
He said the equipment’s installation had become imperative because it will assist to track the parameters of all aircraft engines flying the nation’s airspace as an additional measure to promote air safety .
Akinkuotu, who spoke at a briefing at the NCAA Headquarters to review the activities of the industry in the year, said from next year, NCAA would digitalise the issuance of pilots licences flying in the country.
He said this was informed by the need to have up to date information on all pilots flying in the Nigerian airspace.
He said the NCAA invited foreign auditors to assist in the technical and safety audit of Dana Air to exchange ideas with other global experts and not on account of lack of in-house capacity by the regulator.
He said the audit of Dana Air took enough time for the NCAA to carry out a comprehensive technical and safety investigation of the airline, in the interest of safety.
He said Dana Air is carrying out closing of open times fingered in the audit carried out with a view to resuming operations very soon.
He denied grounding the operations of IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines, saying the carriers violated the regulation which prescribes that they should have at least two serviceable aircraft before they could exercise their air operators ‘ certificate.
Akinkuotu spoke of plans to train more aircraft inspectors and other technical personnel to boost its oversight capacity, adding that from next year, a law would be put in place to ensure that all domestic airlines undergo the compulsory International Operations Safety Audit ( IOSA), carried by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA).
He said: ”From next year, the NCAA is going to put a law in place that will make the installation of aircraft flight information reporting system compulsory. Although, a few airlines have complied with this regulation, but the new law will make it mandatory.
“In the same vein, the NCAA is also going to put in place a law that will make IOSA audit for domestic carriers compulsory. We will also make interlining of tickets one of our cardinal programmes. This will make air travel a lot more easier.”
He further said: ”We have done a lot for the aviation sector this year. Safety is not a destination , but we have kept the journey running. Despite the air crash we recorded this year, we are not resting on our oars, to ensure more things are underway to improve safety in the air.
“We will continue to train inspectors at the NCAA to boost our capacity .
“We invited foreign auditors to assist us with the Dana Air audit to share ideas with other global experts , not because we lack in house capacity to do that. NCAA has enough capacity to carry out audit of existing airlines.”
source: thenationonlineng.net