I see that the four foreign workers taken hostage by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta are still being held captive with their captors still insisting that their demands for the release of the ethnic Ijaw leaders in government custody being non-negotiable. MEND says that it led a number of attacks since 11 January which have left at least 14 people dead and 11 missing. AGIP has also stepped up security at its installations in the Delta after a threat to attack its Brass terminal and none of the helicopter operators are shutting down at any locations in these areas because of the danger of crews being hijacked as happened on numerous occasions in the past. The thought of a main transmission problem or a serious engine fire must be a cause of concern for helicopter pilots flying in the region, with a possibility of being taken hostage if they have to make an emergency landing in the Delta swamp areas.
The US ambassador to Nigeria has called for the immediate release of the hostages and the British government has called for greater protection of its citizens in Nigeria - fat chance of that when the police are the ones who rob them of money on the road every day
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I also read that the Nigerian government has called for a recpitalisation of airlines to have a minimum of the equivalent of $380,000 in paid up capital and said that they must have at least 2 aircraft. If so I wonder if it will also apply to helicopter operators and what the consequences may be for the one or two small operators who are just trying to start out with a single AS350 or Bell 407 in Nigeria? Caverton managed to get its extra helicopters in good time, though both of them are leased from Heliportugal and their hangar and heliport should ensure they meet up with the capitalisation requirements.