Arik, CFM Partner to Develop Indigenous Skills

World renowned aircraft engine manufacturer, CFM International and Nigeria’s biggest carrier, Arik Air have kick-started discussion on the training of Nigerians on aircraft engine maintenance and repairs.

This is an invaluable contribution of Arik Air to government’s local content development policy and as discussion progresses, it is expected that the airline would select intelligent, bright and young Nigerians that would be trained by CFM, which is the manufacturer of Arik Air Boeing 737 New Generation (NG) engines.

The discussion took firm ground on Monday when the President of CFM, Jean-Paul Ebanga  visited the headquarters of Arik Air at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos to affirm the importance of the airline to the company and also show commitment to the planned partnership.

Ebanga who toured Arik Air’s facilities at its headquarters said that he was impressed by the progress the airline has recorded in just eight years of its commercial operations, adding that Arik would soon be one of the leading airlines in Africa.

“What the Chairman of Arik Air, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide  is doing right now is to do, not to talk. He is bringing the needed change in air transport in Nigeria. In three to four years from now Africa will be the most populated continent with growing middle class. We have CFM engines in many aircraft operating in Africa. So we grow with Africa’s economy as the middle class becomes empowered by the on-going economic growth. I think the population of CFM engines in Africa is the biggest one. I think we have about 900 engines flying all over Africa and the engines are behaving very well,” Ebanga said.

The President of CFM also observed that for African airlines to be competitive they have to operate new and modern equipment as Arik Air is doing, engage the services of skilled manpower and operate modern system that would dovetail with operators in other parts of the world because every airline in the world is competing at the same level because all have access to the same market.

“I think one of the challenges of Africa is that Africa is now part of the global economy and African airlines are competing with all the other airlines in the world. I think African airlines will have to keep up with the skills, organisational efficiency to be able to compare with the best airlines in the world. This is what is already in progress. Arik is one of such airlines in Africa. They are using the top notch aircraft like other companies in the world. Of course, there are challenges but the leaders of these airlines in Africa understand those challenges,” the CFM President said.

Chairman of Arik Air, Arumemi-Ikhide explained that the airline and CFM International talked about partnership, the development of indigenous manpower and technical support of the company to the airline.

“We set up two working groups made up of people from their side and our side and we are looking at issues of Harmattan on our engines and you know we are going to build MRO. They are going to let us know what role they will play there. We are going to start a lot of work locally but they must have to be of international standard. Nigerians are well trained. We have skilled people all over the world. Like he said, it is one step after the other but government must support. Without government’s support, we cannot do anything,” he said.