Aviation operators list technology, new aircraft as reasons for increased safety in sector
Still basking in the euphoria of one year of absence of any flight mishap in the African continent, stakeholders in the aviation sector have continued to proffer reasons that enabled operators to achieve this feat.
The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Bankole Bernard said that technology has immensely contributed to improving safety in the Africa aviation industry in the last one year.
Bernard, said this while speaking on the theme: “One-year Accident-Free Commercial Aviation: What did we do right,” at the 2017 AKWAABA Africa Travel Market in Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos on Tuesday.
According to the NANTA chief, Africa did something right for the first time in the aviation industry and that has gone a long way in boosting the safety standards in both on the part of the operators and the regulators.
Bernard said technology has changed the way things are being done in the aviation industry, adding; “we are happy that the aviation sector embraced technology and it has helped to enhance safety in Africa.”
He stressed that apart from technology, another factor that Africa did right was her ability to increase the advocacy level among operators and passengers in the continent.
The NANTA boss stressed that Africa aviation was no longer settling for less anymore amongst other continents in the world. “Advocacy has really helped us a lot. Now African passengers can really cry out and airline operators cannot just do anything anyhow. They have to put the passengers into consideration.”
Speaking in the same vein, the President of the Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr. Gbenga Olowo, said the safety standard in the African aviation industry was achieved because airlines saw the need for making more available budgets for maintenance.
Olowo noted that when aircraft are often maintained, the safety standard of such aircraft is high.
According to him, another factor that led to the increased safety record in 2016 was due to the acquisition of newer fleet of aircraft, maintaining that most airline operators around the world are now using newer generation aircraft and Africa was not left behind in such pursuit.
He said: “Apart from purchasing newer fleet of aircraft, financial institutions are willing to assist the airline operators with loans to run their businesses and this has contributed to the growth of safety in the Africa aviation industry in 2016.”
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