Stakeholders raise concerns over rising aircraft incidents at ramp

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

In recent times, incidents of ramp collusion between aircraft and handling companies’ machines have been on the increase, raising concerns about issues of safety and security at ramps.

All over the world, aviation has standards to be met by contracting states as regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of which Nigeria is one.

Apart from some parts of airport terminals, air sides, aprons among others are highly regarded as restricted areas. Personnel drafted to these areas are well trained master the procedures.

Trained personnel in these areas are expected to be professionals as they are operating in a highly challenging security zones. But in the past few months, the issue of ground handling companies’ machines colliding with aircraft has been on the increase causing nightmares to stakeholders especially airline operators.

In the past one month, Air Peace has had three different incidents involving ground handling companies’ equipment and its aircraft on the ramp causing distortion in its flight operations and incurring debts for the airline.

Following the incident, stakeholders have called on the handling companies, Skyway Aviation Handling Company and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company to critically examine their Safety Management System to see exactly the issues affecting their operations at ramps

Mr Olumide Ohunayo, a renowned aviation professional, called for a comprehensive investigation to avoid future occurrence while the handling company’s insurance should be ready to pay compensation to Airpeace.

Ohunayo called for recurrent training of its personnel within the ramp areas to avoid future occurrence adding that with three incidents within a month showed that something is wrong somewhere

He also advised that operating equipment in their fleet of the ground handlers should also be checked properly to ensure their optimal performance adding that it could be either human or mechanical fault

According to Ohunayo, ground handing incidents and accidents across the globe has cost over $5 billion per annum showing how prevalent it was.