Private jet owners spend N7.8bn yearly on maintenance, expatriate pilots

Date: 07-12-2010 12:13 pm (13 years ago) | Author: Aliuniyi lawal
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- at 7-12-2010 12:13 PM (13 years ago)
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PRIVATE jet owners in Nigeria spend at least $52.3m (N7.8bn) annually on maintenance and expatriate pilots, investigation by our correspondent has revealed. This is as a result of the owners’ failure to register the jets locally.


Going by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s policy, Nigeria-registered pilots and engineers cannot fly or maintain foreign-registered aircraft.


According to the Chief Executive Officer, Airfirst Nigeria Limited, an aviation maintenance consultancy firm, Mr. Gbolahan Abatan, there are about 70 private jets in the country.


But our correspondent gathered that about 80 per cent of these private jets carried foreign registration, with most of them registered in South Africa, United States and some European countries.


This means that about 56 jets are being flown and maintained by expatriates.


According to industry experts, annual maintenance of a private jet costs an average of $550,000. This translates into about $30.8m for the estimated 56 foreign-registered aircraft.


An expatriate pilot also takes home an average of $8,000 monthly, according to experts. This means that Nigeria loses at least $21.5m annually to expatriate pilots.


These pilots are flown into the country every three weeks. Their return air tickets, as well as hotel and feeding costs, while in Nigeria, are borne by the owners of the private jets.


According to experts, 70 per cent of the foreign-registered private jets flying in Nigeria carry South Africa‘s registration; hence, a significant number of the jets are being flown and maintained by South Africans.


They, however, said minor maintenance, called A & B checks in aviation parlance, was mostly done in Nigeria by expatriates from the countries where the private jets are registered.


The President, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Mr. Isaac Balami, said it was unacceptable for Nigerian private jet owners to be spending such huge amount on expatriates when competent local pilots and engineers were jobless.


He said, ”Nigerian billionaires have refused to de-register their private jets from foreign countries. Are they powerful than the government? Our people are losing jobs everyday. We have people that can do the job, several local pilots and maintenance engineers. Even in Ghana, foreign private jets do not operate in the country for over two years without being de-registered. It does not happen.


”We have 100 per cent local capacity to this job. These are eight to 20-passenger jets. Even Aero, Arik, Air Nigeria and Dana do the minor regular maintenance of their aircraft within the country. We have hangars for that. But because these jets are on foreign registration, the expatriates come in to do the job here.”


He added, “If the Federal Government refuses to compel these billionaires to de-register the airplanes as is being done in other parts of the world, I doubt if we won‘t go the union way.”


Abatan claimed that most Nigerian pilots and engineers, having noted the trend, made efforts to obtain foreign licences and validation, especially from South Africa, but were ”tactically refused by the authorities in connivance with South African aviation firms, which are supposed to recommend them.”

Posted: at 7-12-2010 12:13 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
- conakry at 7-12-2010 03:44 PM (13 years ago)
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we should be proud of our own. Govt should compell these owners to de-register their jets, so as to provide jobs for the local pikots
Posted: at 7-12-2010 03:44 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- Commonsense at 8-12-2010 01:39 AM (13 years ago)
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proud of what? a lot of people are hungry and jobless whereas these heartless millionaires waste billions of naira on a chunk of metal.
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:39 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- chrisfab at 8-12-2010 01:42 AM (13 years ago)
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No be small matter my brother
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:42 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- jigaxsol at 8-12-2010 03:16 AM (13 years ago)
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See hw money is been spent like paper, y some ppl are lookin 4 just =N=10 to drink gari a day! Chai
Posted: at 8-12-2010 03:16 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- RustyZea at 8-12-2010 03:51 AM (13 years ago)
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na wa ooooooo.......naija don finish
Posted: at 8-12-2010 03:51 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie
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- tunetrick at 8-12-2010 08:01 AM (13 years ago)
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Nawa ooo nawa 4 dis our ogbodo nigeria when d graduates ar thr seeking 4 dis opportunity these useless good 4 nothing people ar thr, lagushing money on internation agents nawa oøo but akwai allah
Posted: at 8-12-2010 08:01 AM (13 years ago) | Newbie
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- Eucharia at 8-12-2010 10:06 AM (13 years ago)
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 So i should start claping for them right, they have done well  when some people are dying in
Starvation and you are here telling me how much they spend in private Jet a year.    Nonsence
Posted: at 8-12-2010 10:06 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- walerian at 8-12-2010 10:44 AM (13 years ago)
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rubbish....
Posted: at 8-12-2010 10:44 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- ceejay58 at 8-12-2010 11:29 AM (13 years ago)
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 Lips Sealed
Posted: at 8-12-2010 11:29 AM (13 years ago) | Hero
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- sixtyhoneyy at 8-12-2010 11:53 AM (13 years ago)
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hmmmm what is the meaning og this ???when people are dying of hunger, god help nigeria
Posted: at 8-12-2010 11:53 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
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- odiono at 8-12-2010 12:08 PM (13 years ago)
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as far as i know, there is no international law prohibiting any govt to compell or force her nationals to register their private jet locally! why can't the federal govt do dat? at least some persons would have been employed with it why the monies would be circulating within the economy!
Posted: at 8-12-2010 12:08 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- kaycee1989 at 8-12-2010 12:14 PM (13 years ago)
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dt one concern dem oooo..air pilots no de evn chop money reach seafarers sef...
Posted: at 8-12-2010 12:14 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
Reply
- atamajim at 8-12-2010 01:36 PM (13 years ago)
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we know before
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:36 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- sammiegee25 at 8-12-2010 01:45 PM (13 years ago)
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NO BE SMALL THING OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:45 PM (13 years ago) | Newbie
Reply
- Henchmann at 8-12-2010 01:46 PM (13 years ago)
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NO BE SMALL THING OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:46 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- Henchmann at 8-12-2010 01:50 PM (13 years ago)
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TOO MUCH MONEY
Posted: at 8-12-2010 01:50 PM (13 years ago) | Upcoming
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- Bazemaster at 8-12-2010 02:21 PM (13 years ago)
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See una lives, see how una dey abuse these billionaires because of their executive spending. To tell the truth, most of you will do worse than what these pple are spending. Appreciate the rich to be rich.

Posted: at 8-12-2010 02:21 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- goingwithyou at 8-12-2010 02:32 PM (13 years ago)
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Dis is serious i think is tym for me to go to S.A if am going to get a better job ... 9ja na wa for our Gorv ...
Posted: at 8-12-2010 02:32 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
- jigaxsol at 8-12-2010 03:10 PM (13 years ago)
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Na dem go still talk say no food for lazyman
Posted: at 8-12-2010 03:10 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac
Reply
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