At Last, FG bans Boeing 737-Max planes

Abiodun OBA |

After long silence, the Federal Government has finally banned the use of Boeing 737-Max planes in Nigerian airspace.

The decision was taken at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting held in Abuja.

The Minister of State, Aviation, Heidi Sirika, briefing journalists at the end of the meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, said, “Regarding Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, that has been in the news recently, there is no cause for alarm as there is no operator in Nigeria that is using that type of air plane.

“The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, whose mandate it is to issue advisory, has already issued advisory that nobody should fly into Nigeria or out of Nigeria using Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, pending the determination of the actual cause of the crash in Ethiopia and also pending the outcome of the response of the manufacturer, which is Messrs Boeing.

“Regardless of the enormous safety records of this plane 737, it has caused concern in the world of aviation and you know aviation is universal, whatever affects one affects the other because aircraft will be flying in and out.

“So, we have issued a directive that no operator with Boeing 737 Max 8 or Max 9 should operate into and outside our airports and this is being carried out.

“Regarding Air Peace and Arik orders, whether those orders were confirmed or intent, it is to our knowledge in the ministry that they won’t be in the country until the next two years or so. And this is enough period to sort out whatever problem it is with that plane.

“The world of aviation will not be sleeping just as we in Nigeria will not be sleeping. And it is normal standard practice that once a particular aircraft type is involved in accidents, back to back, it is withdrawn from the market and see if there is something they are doing wrong.

“If it is confirmed that a particular problem, say, for instance, landing gear, they will issue an instruction to ground such plane worldwide until the problem is fixed”, he concluded.

Recall however, that following the suspension of the use of Boeing 737-Max by some countries, experts had asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to prevent the aircraft from operating in the country until concerns about it are addressed.

Aviation Analyst, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, on Tuesday said that other regulatory agencies globally had taken decisions on the aircraft and the NCAA should do same.

“I will advise the NCAA not to allow the B737-Max to come into Nigeria until the issues around it are cleared. The statement by Boeing that it is upgrading the safety of the aircraft has triggered other regulatory bodies around the world to take action,” he said.

While describing the incident as unfortunate, considering Ethiopian Airlines’ safety record, Ohunayo said the reaction of the world should encourage the Nigerian aviation stakeholders to pay more attention to the industry.

He said, “With the quality of passengers onboard the flight and their diverse nationality, the world is reacting. The lesson for us as a nation is that we need to begin to propel our airline to that strength whereby organisations will be able to stand for us. We must be able to build that same business confidence in the international community.

“If what had happened had been a Nigerian carrier, we may not get the reaction from the global aviation community; they would probably be looking at our regulations and the personnel of the airline, trying to hang the fault on the airline.

“But on the other way round, the world is rallying around Ethiopia Airlines believing that it is the equipment, not the airline because of its safety records with the biggest fleet and operations in Africa.”

The President, Aviation Roundtable Initiative, Mr Gbenga Olowo, said the crash of the aircraft, being the second within five months and coming on the heels of the crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, the safety of the equipment had come under scrutiny.

He said, “These series of fatal accidents call to question the safety in the design of the Max 8 series by the manufacturer and its certification to fly by the US Federal Aviation Administration and the safety regulatory authority in the country of manufacturing. Curiously, there had been no reported case of such fatal accidents of the aircraft in the US since the aircraft came into operations.

“While we condole with the families of those who lost their lives in the unfortunate accidents, we call on Boeing, the US FAA and International Civil Aviation Organisation to jointly consider these recurring fatal accidents on the B737-Max that have collectively claimed about 350 lives of air travellers within five months as a calamity to the global travelling community.”

He stated that the aviation regulatory bodies should demand that the aircraft be temporarily grounded from commercial operations.

“We noted that some countries including China, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Mexico, among others, have grounded the B737-Max fleet pending the determination of the cause of the incessant crashes. ART is very hopeful that these global aviation bodies would respond promptly to the demand that the Boeing 737-Max 8 New Generation be suspended from commercial operations,” he said.

Aviation analyst, Mr Chris Aligbe, however, stated that no decision could be taken now until the analysis of the black box had been concluded.