Some Companies start something like so called Embargo, Aero(government company), Arik refused, and Some other private like Air peace is on the road...
but I don't think will last so long.
Soon they will lift this embargo and start to take foreigners as usual.
This is an article of last month:
Airline operators are set on a collision course with the federal government over recent directive by the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka that all airlines operating in Nigeria must have a Nigerian pilot onboard their fleet of aircraft to reduce the number of unemployed Nigerian pilots currently put at 327.
While the minister believes the move would help to reduce growing number of unemployed Nigerian pilots, airline operators said the policy will not work as previous implementation did not yield good result. They argued that they had recruited and trained some Nigerian pilots in the past only for them to move to another airline shortly after they might have completed their certification examinations, stressing that such an exercise has no benefit to them.
Now that the policy seems not to have gone down well with some airlines, they have vowed to resist the move due to the perceived losts coming to them from the exercise. For example, the biggest airline in West African sub-region, Arik Airline claimed it had lost over $10bn on training Nigerian pilots who at the end of the day cross over to other countries to continue their career.
Speaking with Nigerian NewsDirect in an exclusive telephone chat, the Chairman of Arik Airline, Sir Arhumemi-Ikhide explained that they have shown Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), documents to back their reason Arik Airline, with a fleet of over 25 aircraft, will not obey such policy.
According to him, “FG said that we should train unemployed Nigerian pilots but world over, it is the government that trains pilots. Go to South African Airways or Indian Airways; they all withdraw from a government trained pool of pilots.”
He added that, “aside the fact that it is not our responsibility to train pilots, we have trained many Nigerian pilots in the past without good result to show for it. Remember, we are the only airline operating a Next Generation (NG) aircraft in Africa.
“Do you know that when we finished training these unemployed Nigerian pilots, they go to the Middle East to continue their careers. After disappearing, we will suddenly see them re-surfacing in countries like the United Arab Emirates or Afghanistan airlines operating.
“We are the ones who trained them. We have spent over N10bn to train Nigerian pilots in the past; but it is like putting water in a basket. It’s a waste of capital. After training them, we send them to European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) where they are issued European licence, but at the end of the day, they all elope to the Middle East.”
When asked if airlines could bond these pilots to checkmate the continuous waste of capital due to the pilots eloping to other countries after being trained, he explained that bonding is not effective in Nigeria.
In his words, “we have bonded them in the past but that is not effective in this part of the world. The system is not effective when it comes to bonding. Most of them will elope under the cover of gathering experience from foreign airlines. They will elope under the pretext that they will come back after gathering foreign experience.
“When we complained to NCAA, what we heard was shocking. NCAA told us that it is a free world, that since the pilots have their licences, they should not be subjected to any form of bonding or contract. Meaning that all money spent on them is a waste of fund.
“For us to accept to train any more unemployed Nigerian pilots, NCAA has to sign an undertaking with us. We have learnt our lessons and we have the list of pilots we have trained with our money. They are about 18. None of the Nigerian pilots we trained in the past is working with Arik Airline.
“We have spent so much money to train Nigerian pilots in the past. When they are in the training school, we keep paying them. We have our evidences to show for this. We cannot continue to throw money into a basket.”
When told that some Nigerian pilots still work with Arik Airline, he explained that, “those Nigerian pilots currently working with Arik Airline are people who were trained by their parents in the United States of America (USA) or the United Kingdom (UK).
“None of the 18 Nigerian pilots we trained in the past currently work with Arik Airline. They have all gone even when some of them were bonded. Most of them went abroad to work, and because we cannot force people to work with us, it is a waste of fund.
“We are currently talking to the government on this issue. Most of the time, government makes policy without consulting the airlines. We are the only one that has trained people in the past, but the Ministry of Aviation said they are not aware of this, but NCAA is aware. We have shown them the list of the trained 18 that have disappeared.
“NCAA needs to make an undertaking that after training, they will not elope. The government has to make laws that will make airlines comfortable. Those unemployed pilots complaining are also looking for an opportunity to elope. That is what they do.” It was not clear at the time of compiling this report whether the minister of aviation will take the issue lightly as the operators have vowed not to obey his order. Mr Osita Chidoka was appointed aviation minister last year to revive the aviation sector within six months of operation.
Source: newsdirectonline.com