Friday, February 19, 2016

African air safety continues to improve – IATA

Africa’s air safety last year was better than over the five-year period 2010 to 2014, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) reported early this week.

While the hull loss rate for jet airliners was down, that for turboprop airliners showed a dramatic decline. The jet hull loss rate in Africa in 2015 was 3.49 per million flights, in comparison to a rate of 3.69 for 2010 to 2014, 

while the turboprop hull loss rate was 4.53, in comparison to 18.20 for the preceding five-year period. 

There were four commercial hull loss accidents in sub-Saharan Africa last year. Two involved jets and two involved turboprops. Neither jet accident saw any fatalities, nor did one of the turboprop losses. Unfortunately, the other turboprop loss did result in fatalities. 

In addition, there were two accidents involving jet aircraft in the region which did not result in hull losses but did cause fatalities. 

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a runway excursion by a freighter aircraft caused eight fatalities on the ground. 

Over Senegal, an airliner collided with a smaller jet serving as an air ambulance; while the airliner suffered only moderate damage and nobody onboard suffered any injuries, the smaller jet disappeared (its wreckage has not yet been found) and is considered lost and all seven people onboard are presumed dead. 

"African safety is moving in the right direction,” affirmed Iata director-general and CEO Tony Tyler. “In 2015 we saw improvements compared to the five-year accident rate for both jet and turboprop hull losses. 

Nevertheless, challenges to bringing Africa in line with global performance remain. One valuable tool to assist this effort is IOSA [Iata Operational Safety Audit]. The 32 sub-Saharan airlines on the IOSA registry are performing 3.5 times better than non-IOSA operators in terms of all accidents (3.62 per million flights versus 12.99). States should make IOSA a part of the certification process.” 

Aviation emissions standard to come into force in 2020 African carriers still hampered by national policies “Governments in the region also need to accelerate implementation of ICAO’s [International Civil Aviation Organisation’s] safety-related standards and recommended practices (SARPS), according to the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme,” he added. “As of the end of January 2016, only 21 African States had accomplished at least 60% of implementation of the SARPS.” 

Worldwide, the jet hull loss rate last year was 0.32, which was up on the 0.27 of 2014 but still 30% better than the figure of 0.46 for the five-year period 2010 to 2014. A loss rate of 0.32 works out at one air accident every 3.1-million flights. 

Iata member airlines suffered a jet hull loss rate of 0.22 (or one accident for every 4.5-million flights). This was in accord with the 0.21 figure for 2010 to 2014 but up on the 2014 figure of 0.12. However, the Iata loss rate was 31% better than the global rate. 

All 262 Iata member airlines have to be on the IOSA registry (another 146 airlines which are not Iata members are also on the IOSA registry). Regarding turboprops, the hull loss rate in 2015 was 1.29 per million flights. This was a significant improvement over the 3.95 figure for 2010 to 2014. 

It should be noted that the loss last year of Germanwings Flight 9525 and Metrojet Flight 9268, which together cost 374 lives, are not classified as accidents, as they were deliberately perpetrated. Flight 9525 was crashed by its suicidal co-pilot and Flight 9268 was destroyed by a terrorist bomb. 





PHOTO NEWS: Joe Obi's Wedding Day.




Former Minister of Aviation and Senator representing Anambra North, her former 
Media Adviser, Mr Joe Obi and his wife Barong, during their wedding in Abuja, recently.

 

Mr and Mrs Joe and Barong Obi doing the Toast at the Reception ‎during their wedding in 
Abuja, recently. 



Obi and friends at the reception.

Dasukigate: Metuh Pleads to Amended Charge

Olisa Metuh, the embattled spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday, February 18, 2016 pleaded to a seven- count amended charge bordering money laundering brought against him before Justice E.O Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Metuh is standing trial for allegedly receiving the sum of N400 million (Four hundred million naira) from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) who is being tried for laundering $2.1 billion.

One of the counts reads:
“That you Olisa Metuh and Destra Investments Limited on or before the 24th November, 2014 in Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court took possession of the sum N400,000,000 (Four Hundred Million Naira) only, paid into the account of DESTRA INVESTMENTS LIMITED with DIAMOND BANK Plc. Account No. 0040437573 from the account of the National Security Adviser  with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said sum formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) the then National Security Adviser (To Wit; criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the MoneyLaundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Counsel to the defence, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, prayed the court to allow the defendant to continue on the earlier bail with same terms and conditions as the defendant has never defaulted.

Justice Abang granted the defence prayer and adjourned to February 25, 2016 for adoption of written addresses on the “no case submission” made by the defence.

Buhari presents 2021 Budget to National Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday , 8,October, 2020, formally tabled the Executive’s proposed budget for the 2021 fiscal year to a joint s...