…Laments Absence Of Standard ,Equipped Hangar In Nigeria
The Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN), the professional body for Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government and industry stakeholders to support the development of aircraft maintenance infrastructure and training programmes in Nigeria.
This is just as SLAMEN lamented that till date there is no standard, equipped hangar facility in the country.
The President of SLAMEN, Engr. Mubarak Haladu, stated this during the celebration of the International Aircraft Engineers Day recently .
According to SLAMEN President, the day ; May 24 every year has been set aside to recognise the critical role that Aircraft Maintenance Engineers play in ensuring the safety, security and reliability of air travel and its operations.
Haladu lamented that there are quite a lot of qualified aircraft maintenance engineers in the country without employment and are required to be absorbed by either airlines or Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMOs) .
He,however pointed out that Nigeria does not have a standard, equipped hangar facility in the country .
These Aircraft Maintenance Engineers(AMEs), he said can be employed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which Nigeria also do not have.
“We need establishment of multiple maintenance facilities and airlines to employ the qualified unemployed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in the country.
“We believe that investing in aircraft maintenance will not only improve safety, boost the growth of the industry and also save Forex for Nigeria, the amount of foreign currencies that end up abroad via aircraft maintenance can boost the already weakened economy of Nigeria.
“We are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our members who work diligently to keep the flying public safe.
“Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are the unsung heroes of the aviation industry, and we are grateful for their hard work and commitment to excellence and service,” the SLAMEN President said.
To buttress his point, Haladu said that its members work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that aircraft are airworthy and meet the highest safety standards leveraging on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annexes along with the Aircraft Manufacturers documents.
“For every aircraft you see in the air, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer must have Certified as airworthy it as air worthy before being taken to the skies by pilots.
“We are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our members who work diligently to keep the flying public safe,’ he said
He added that SLAMEN will use celebration of the International Aircraft Engineer’s Day, to honour the dedication and expertise of its members and the entire aircraft maintenance community worldwide.
AMEs, he said look forward to continuing its work towards a safer and more efficient aviation industry.
SLAMEN an umbrella body for practicing AMEs in Nigeria has a strength of about 4000.
The society provides members with professional education through seminars, workshops, among other programmes.
SLAMEN is an affiliate of the Aircraft Engineers International (ΑΕΙ) with headquarters in Belgium.
AEI only concern itself with the interests of air safety, aviation maintenance and maintenance qualified personnel throughout the world.
SLAMEN, the professional body for Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in Nigeria, is using this occasion of the celebration of the International Day to highlight the importance of aircraft maintenance in the aviation industry.
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