4. Government should urgently set up a committee comprising representatives from the Office of the S

IN 2006, after the Sosoliso air crash in Port Harcourt cheap tickets for students which claimed the lives of 61 secondary school children on holidays from Abuja, the Obasanjo government appointed high powered Air Vice Marshal cheap tickets for students Paul Dike (rtd) inquiry. Many of the task force s recommendations were implemented and brought temporary sanity to our air space. It virtually stopped the almost regular air disasters until the horrible Dana Air crash of June 3.
Among the recommendations cheap tickets for students was that "NCAA should ensure stringent airworthiness certification procedures for ageing aircraft. They should also re-orientate airworthiness inspectors on the necessary steps and checks on ageing aircraft and ensure that the most experienced staff are assigned to inspect ageing aircraft.
The Task Force also recommended cheap tickets for students that "Government should enforce the registration of foreign airlines cheap tickets for students operating in Nigeria to enable them pay appropriate taxes to Government in line with extant regulations.
The aviation industry is closely cheap tickets for students tied to the territorial integrity of the nation and  its economic growth, cheap tickets for students and is, therefore, of strategic cheap tickets for students national importance .The absence of effective surveillance could unnecessarily expose the national airspace to terrorism and other attacks. Breach of aviation security has international repercussions as it tends to discourage international travel, tourism and investment. However, the facilities and training needed to counter the threats to aviation go beyond the capability of the industry alone. The Task Force is, therefore, of the view that Government should take aviation security as national security, and assist  with the necessary  funding.
2. Government should grant autonomy cheap tickets for students to the Nigerian,Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The Task Force observed that the existing legal framework cheap tickets for students governing cheap tickets for students aviation in Nigeria does not give NCAA the necessary operational and  financial autonomy to effectively regulate the industry. It  is noteworthy, however, that the new Civil Aviation Bill contains all the necessary provisions that will make the agency autonomous. Government should, therefore, expedite passage of the bill.
3.  The new Aviation Bill should be passed before October 2006. This is a pre-requisite for the Nigerian cheap tickets for students aviation industry to pass the  International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) scheduled for November cheap tickets for students 2005, as it among other things, provides for the autonomy of NCAA. The bill's passage before October cheap tickets for students 2006 is early enough for the forthcoming ICAO audit.
4. Government should urgently set up a committee comprising representatives from the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF; Federal Ministry cheap tickets for students of Aviation, FMA; Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE; Nigerian Air Force, NAF; Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON; a legal practitioner with considerable experience in aviation  matters, and a representative of aviation professional bodies, to review and harmonize the BPE/FMA cheap tickets for students versions of the bill.
There are fundamental differences between the two versions of the new Civil Aviation Bill. While the BPE version is predicated on a need to position the industry cheap tickets for students for privatization and  greater private sector participation; the FMA version is focused mainly cheap tickets for students on meeting ICAO requirements. Both versions of the Bill could, therefore, be harmonized into a holistic framework which accommodates emerging realities without compromising the desired ICAO standards.
cheap tickets for students 5. The NCAA Act should be amended to give the Authority the powers to develop, issue and raise operating regulations. This would free NCAA from interference in developing and implementing regulations geared at improving safety and security of aviation without referring to the Board or the Ministry. The existing provision is for the board of NCAA to perform this function. It brings undue bureaucracy and delay and is not in conformity with ICAO standards.
6. Government should, disengage all unqualified employees in NCAA and ensure that only core professionals of high integrity with requisite skill levels are employed. The Task Force  observed  that the  manning level at the technical departments of NCAA was very poor and professionally deficient. In the Flight Operations Department, the pilots employed were few  compared to the number of airplanes in the register. Due to poor remuneration, the Department cheap tickets for students could not attract high quality pilots.
The competence of some of the pilots was doubtful, so they could not command the respect of their peers. In the Airworthiness Department, most of the inspectors do not have the depth of practical experience necessary for the inspection of aircraft, and for conducting licensing cheap tickets for students examinations for maintenance engineers. The Task Force noticed that recent Ministerial moves have swept out most of these categories of personnel, but it has not gone far enough. Respected pilots in the industry or outside Nigeria should be brought in and in the correct  numbers to man the Flight Operations and Licensing Division. Respected cheap tickets for students maintenance engineers with relevant practical background should be brought in, trained in inspection functions and injected into NCAA.
(a) Operators wishing to be issued an ATL/Air Operator Permit (AOP) should specify the particular tier of operation they are applying for and show evidence of corresponding capitalization as follows:
(c)Operators who hold an ATL but are yet to commence cheap tickets for students operations should meet the new capital  base before commencing operation. cheap tickets for students If they are unable to start operation before  March 31, 2007,  their ATL should automatically be revoked.
These requirements would ensure that airlines commence operations with a fairly good financial base and safety margin. The re-capitalised airlines will also have necessary fund for the maintenance of aircraft, recruitment and re-currency training of their staff.
8.Government should approve a short-term Aviation Bridge Finance of N32.86 billion for immediate rehabilitation, upgrading and/or provision of airport facilities, equipment, and associated infrastructure at four international airports namely, Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt; and for the priority projects of NCAA, Nigerian Airspace Management cheap tickets for students Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) as verified by the Task Force.
The thirty-two billion, eight hundred and sixty million cheap tickets for students naira (N32.86 billion) Aviation Bridge Finance cheap tickets for students would be used to fund specific projects to upgrade the four major international airports to ICAO standards. Details are given in Apendix 1 to this report. This would enable the country to pass the ICAO USOAP mission to Nigeria scheduled for November 2006. The fund would be syndicated by leading commercial banks and guaranteed by the Federal cheap tickets for students Government. The fund  would be taken out by a long-term funding structure through the proposed Nigeria Aviation Development Fund.
9. Government should approve the removal of the five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on ticket sales and cargo charges. This is informed by the fact that VAT is never charged on ticket sales in any part of the world. The five per cent VAT could be ploughed back into the aviation industry to provide term funding.
The aviation industry in Nigeria needs a sustainable source of fund for its growth. The Task Force believes that such funding should not come from Government, but from the consumers of aviation services passengers. By removing the five per cent VAT and introducing five per cent ADL, Government would be laying a solid base for aviation development in Nigeria without imposing any new tax on the public. The Development Levy should be reflected in the new Aviation Bill.
11. Government should approve the creation of a Nigeria Aviation Development Fund (NADL) and take steps to include  it in the Aviation Bill. The NADF is a specialised funding scheme targeted at providing infrastructure funding for the aviation industry in Nigeria. The focal point of the NADF is to facilitate  the rapid development of our airports to meet international standards. It should be funded by 50 per cent of the ADL, and would be managed by a Board of Directors.
12. Government should dedicate the Bilateral Air Service Agreement cheap tickets for students (BASA) Fund for infrastructural development regulation of the aviation industry through the NADF. Nigeria has Bilateral Air Service Agreement with several countries from which it derives approximately US$15.4 cheap tickets for students million annually. The Task Force has confirmed that this money is held in a dedicated account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and has a balance of about  US$36 million. Considering the poor state of infrastructure at all the nation's airports, the Task Force believes cheap tickets for students that it should be ploughed cheap tickets for students back to the aviation sector through the NADF.
13. Government should approve the creation of a Nigerian Airline cheap tickets for students Support Fund (NASF) and take steps to include it in the Aviation Bill. The NASF is a funding scheme, which is structured to assist domestic airline operators in Nigeria acquire and renew their aircraft fleet. A known advantage cheap tickets for students of the NASF is that it provides a single point of negotiation for aircraft manufacturers to enter into agreement with Nigerian airlines which should be funded by 50 per cent of the ADL.
14. Government should complement the technical staff strength of the Aviation cheap tickets for students Agencies by engaging qualified and experienced cheap tickets for students local professionals on advisory/consultancy basis, from the list compiled by the Task Force (Appendix II), or from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) or United States of America, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Britain, ICAO, International Air Transport Association (IATA) from experienced foreign based Nigerians.
The Task Force observed the dearth of core aviators in the Agency occasioned by forced retirement and premature disengagements. Technical staff would therefore need to be improved. This would strengthen capabilities of the Agencies to discharge their duties efficiently and effective