Minister orders probe into use of ladder at Bauchi Airport by Aero Contractors

The  Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has directed an immediate investigation into the use of an unauthorized equipment by Aero Contractors Airlines at the conclusion of a charter flight to Bauchi over the weekend.

This is just as one of the ground handling companies, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company ( NAHCO) Plc said it is was not involved in the incident because it does not operate at Bauchi Airport .
The minister spoke through the deputy director in charge of press and public affairs in the ministry, Mr James Odaudu.

Several reports received by the Minister have indicated that the airline used a ladder to disembark passengers from a Boeing 737 aircraft at the  Bauchi airport on Saturday December 19th 2015.
According to the Minister, the act is inconsistent with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).

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


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 Minister assures the traveling public that the Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with Nigerian Civil Aviation  Authority (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 fail  in its responsibility to ensure a safe and secure air transport services which he views as sacrosanct.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO aviance) on Sunday said it was not responsible for the ordeals of Aero contractors at Bauchi airport where its passengers had to disembark from an aircraft with a ladder on Saturday.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Tayo Ajakaye ,  NAHCO  said,  “The attention of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO aviance) 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.”