An estimated $1 billion (N412,497,554,000.00) spent annually by airlines in Nigeria and the West African region by virtue of ferrying aircraft offshore for different types of aircraft checks is due to reduce drastically as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) grant an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) certificate to 7Star Global Hangar Ltd to operate an all-inclusive Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.
The firm had undergone over 15 months of review of its variation and operational specifications (OpsSpecs) and an expansion of its capability list in Wheels and Brakes, NDT before receiving the certificate from NCAA.
Chief Executive Officer of 7Star Global Hangar, Isaac Balami, an aircraft engineer and former National President for Aircraft Pilots and Engineers disclosed that an investment of over $10 million on equipment, Tools and Training has been done in the facility.
“We are happy today to say goodbye to the huge capital flight in aircraft maintenance we often experience, amounting to over $1billion that is annually spent in West Africa alone and that is going to help to create jobs here in Nigeria”. Balami told journalists in Lagos.
He explained that the job creation potential for the industry is huge as the MRO, the first independent privately owned West and Central Africa is certified to carry out repairs and maintenance of both helicopters and aeroplanes.
According to the NCAA licence, 7Star Global Hangar Ltd can provide Inspection/Maintenance on Augusta 139 helicopters that are mostly operated by the Presidency, VIPs, as well as oil and gas companies.
