Posted by By Kenneth Ehigiator on
THE Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) yesterday called on the Federal Government to make public report of ongoing investigation into the crash of Bellview Airline's flight 210, just as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) cautioned against speculations on the cause of the accident.
LAGOS - THE Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) yesterday called on the Federal Government to make public report of ongoing investigation into the crash of Bellview Airline's flight 210, just as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) cautioned against speculations on the cause of the accident.
Aviation Minister, Prof. Babalola Borishade, had hours after the crash told newsmen that the report would not be made public, but reserved for relevant aviation agencies to draw lessons from.
But the AON said in a statement that government's plan to keep the report of the probe secret from the public meant it had something to hide.
'We would want the report made public. If anybody says it should not be made public, it means the person has something to hide," the AON said in the statement signed by Alhaji Mohammed Tukur for the secretary-general.
The group also stressed the need for government to come to the rescue of operators to enable then acquire relatively new aircraft.
According to the group, government's assistance to local operators in wet-lease of aircraft and route allocation will enhance safety.
The AON said: 'Today, the need for local operators cannot be over-emphasised. We want to also appeal to government to use this as an opportunity to take a critical look at the problems of maintenance, personnel certification and financing as they relate to individual operator.
'We believe a holistic approach to the situation will go a long way to enhance air travel. The Federal Government, through the supervisory ministry, should be willing to assist the airlines where there is need, particularly on the issue of wet-leasing of aircraft and route allocation to be able to source for foreign exchange."