According to the association, the present policy was inimical to the Nigerian aviation industry, adding that it also "subjected pilots to slave-like conditions".
The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to review its current policy on simulator training for pilots.
According to the association, the present policy is inimical to the Nigerian aviation industry, adding that it also "subjected pilots to slave-like conditions".
A communiqué issued by NAAPE and signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Aba Ocheme, after a retreat held in Abuja in December with theme: ‘Enhancing Leadership Capacity for a Greater NAAPE', emphasised that the current situation created is chaotic and does not allow pilots who may have been relieved of employment for one reason or another to secure another employment with the training certificate.
The body insisted that what obtains presently contravenes the periodic renewal policy and helps neither the pilots, airline nor the industry.
The communiqué read: “The Director-General [of] NCAA is urged to take urgent steps to review the NCAA’s policy on pilots simulator training whereby a pilot's simulator certificate is vested in the airline. This policy smacks of skate labour and denies the pilot the right to their intellectual property.
“Besides, this situation has created a chaotic atmosphere because pilots who have been relieved of employment through redundancy and other means by various airlines are unable to secure other employment opportunities with the simulator training certificate (sim) even as such ‘sim’ are current.
“The present policy connotes that a valid ‘sim’ may be invalidated within its validated period. This contravenes the periodic review policy and it also does incalculable damage to the holder."
NAAPE also called on the government to set up a high-powered monitoring committee to ensure that the Executive Order 05, which deals with expatriate quota and local content act is implemented in the aviation sub-sector.
NAAPE also advised government to ensure that as a body, it is carried along as part of any such committee if and when it is constituted.
“Having reviewed the content, principle and objectives of Executive Order 05, which enforces the expatriate quota and the Local Content Act for the purpose of assuring that qualified Nigerians are given preference for Nigerian generated employment opportunities, NAAPE finds this order laudable and timely and pledge our support for its full actualization.
“Consequently, Minister of State, Aviation is called upon to urgently set up a high caliber monitoring committee for the implementation and enforcement of Executive Order 05 in the aviation sub-sector in view of the present prevalence of non-committal to the order within the sector.
“Minister of State is also invited to consider the participation of NAAPE in the proposed committee as vital.”