FG probes use of ladder to disembark passengers by Aero

Federal Government yesterday ordered immediate investigation into the unprofessional conduct of disembarking air passengers by Aero Contractors.

The government also threatened to sanction the airline if found guilty of exposing the lives of its clients into danger by its unprofessional behaviour.

This is as the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company of Nigeria, NAHCO, Plc distanced itself from the ordeal of the airline.

Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika directed an immediate investigation into the use of a ladder by the airline at Bauchi Airport to disembark passengers of a charter flight on Saturday.

A statement issued by Deputy Director, Press and Public Affairs of the ministry, Mr. James Odaudu hinted that several reports received by Sirika indicated the airline used a ladder to disembark passengers from a Boeing 737 aircraft.

The action, he said, was inconsistent with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs, and International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPS.

He declared that the outcome of the investigation would determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident with a view to developing and implementing measures that would prevent a reoccurrence of the unsafe and unacceptable procedure that exposed passengers to high risk of serious injury.

The statement added: “He reiterated that if the airline is found culpable, the full weight of sanctions within extant laws and regulations would be applied on it.

“The Honourable Minister assures the traveling public that the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with NCAA will ensure strict adherence to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations as well as ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices by all operators.

“Sirika further states that the ministry will not shirk in its responsibility to ensure a safe and secure air transport services which he views as sacrosanct.”

Meanwhile, NAHCO yesterday said it was not responsible for the troubles of the airline at Bauchi Airport.

Spokesman for NAHCO, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye in a statement said there had been insinuations and belief in some quarters that NAHCO was supposed to have provided the equipment.

He noted that NAHCO does not operate at Bauchi airport.

He said: “The attention of NAHCO has been drawn to reports making rounds on the social media to the effect that it was its failure to provide handling service to one of its esteemed clients, Aero Contractors that caused passengers of the airline to disembark with ladder at the Bauchi Airport.

“Nothing can be further from the truth. NAHCO does not have operations in Bauchi. This fact is well known to Aero and all our client airlines. So, for Aero to embark on that chartered flight to Bauchi, it definitely would have made its own private arrangements.

“Aero’s statement in this regard is particularly clear. It never mentioned NAHCO, nor for that matter, any ground handler as the reason it had to innovate.”

It would be recalled that Aero Contractors had used ladder to disembark its 34 passengers at Bauchi Airport.

The airline claimed the aircraft in question had operated a charter flight, but had problems with unserviceable equipment by the airport management in disembarking the passengers from Abuja.

The statement hinted that the absence of this equipment propelled the airline to use a ladder against its wish to disembark the passengers.