Experts in the Nigerian aviation industry have expressed concerns regarding the involvement of Engr. Gbolahan Abatan, the director of Airworthiness and Standard of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in the company that owned the crashed Jabiru J430 airplane, with the Nationality and Registration Marks 5N-CCQ, operated by Air First Hospitality & Tours.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HEREā¶
The incident occurred on the busy Oba Akran road in Ikeja on Tuesday.
Engr. Abatan was appointed as one of the 33 directors by former President Muhammadu Buhari into agencies under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace just six days before the end of his tenure in May 2023….CONTINUE READING
Additionally, he still holds the position of President and CEO of Air First Nigeria Limited (AFNL), the company that operated the crashed aircraft.
Experts have raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest between the NCAA and Air First Hospitality & Tours, as the regulatory agency should not have a member of its management team heading an aviation company it regulates.
They also questioned why a test flight would be approved over a densely populated city like Lagos when less populated areas with airports are available for such operations.
Responding to the concerns, Engr. Abatan claimed that he had resigned as President and CEO of AFNL, the parent company of Air First Hospitality & Tours. However, stakeholders are still wary of the potential conflict of interest and are calling for a thorough investigation into the crash.
