The Aero Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility operated by Aero Contractors Limited is fast becoming a strategic solution to the high cost of aircraft maintenance in West and Central Africa, offering airlines a lifeline from expensive overseas checks and the ripple effect on passenger fares.
The Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Rev. Stephen Arthur, said the facility has the capacity to service all categories of commercial aircraft approved for maintenance within the sub-region, stressing that its availability directly impacts airline operating costs and, ultimately, ticket prices paid by passengers.
Arthur made the remarks after a guided tour of the state-of-the-art maintenance facility located at Aero Contractors’ headquarters at the General Aviation Terminal, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. He noted that the long-standing practice of ferrying aircraft to Europe and the United States for maintenance has contributed significantly to rising airfares across Africa, describing the presence of a fully functional Aero MRO in West Africa as both “strategic and timely”.
The GCAA boss was visibly impressed by the scale of infrastructure and the depth of technical expertise on ground at the facility. After inspecting several sections and interacting with engineers and technicians, he said:
“This is unique by all standards. I least expected to see what we have all witnessed today, especially from this part of the continent”.
He explained that many travellers underestimate the role aircraft maintenance plays in airline economics. According to him, the cost of flying goes beyond fuel consumption.
“Many of us have no idea how the cost of aircraft maintenance affects overall airline operations, which eventually translates to the cost of air tickets. It is not just fuel; it is the cost of maintaining, repairing and overhauling the aircraft”, he said.
Arthur added that when suitable facilities are unavailable within a region, airlines are forced to ferry aircraft abroad, increasing expenditure on fuel, crew allowances, navigation charges and aircraft downtime. These costs, he said, are inevitably passed on to passengers.
“Ferrying aircraft outside Africa adds more to the cost of the airline’s business, and that is eventually translated to the paying passenger”, he noted.
“But with Aero MRO nearby, maintenance cycles are shortened, aircraft return to service faster, and airlines save money while improving reliability”.
He described Aero MRO as a major boost not only for Nigeria but for the entire ECOWAS sub-region.
“As Ghana and other neighbouring ECOWAS states, I believe it is a great blessing to have this facility operated, owned and managed by Aero Contractors. It is really good news to celebrate and promote”, he said.
Confirming that Ghana is in the process of establishing a national carrier, Arthur disclosed that the country intends to patronise Aero MRO.
“We should encourage airlines to use this facility, because through patronage it will expand and offer more. I think Aero MRO is something we must celebrate”, he added, noting that Nigeria was the first country he visited after the confirmation of his appointment.
Aero Contractors’ MRO Vision
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors Limited, Captain Ado Sanusi, traced the company’s evolution from oil and gas aviation services to scheduled airline operations and full aircraft maintenance.
He explained that Aero Contractors, founded in 1959, became the first company to perform C-checks on Boeing 737 Classic aircraft in West and Central Africa.
“We were the first to carry out C-checks on Boeing 737 Classic in West and Central Africa, and since then we have continued to operate our maintenance facility, providing services to airlines within West Africa and beyond”, Sanusi said.
He added that Aero has secured multiple regulatory approvals from different countries and is currently pursuing European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifications to expand Aero MRO into full base maintenance operations. The company, he noted, is also planning a strategic return to Accra operations as part of its regional growth drive.
With rising maintenance costs and pressure on airline profitability across Africa, Aero MRO is increasingly positioning itself as a home-grown solution capable of reducing operational expenses, strengthening fleet availability and easing the burden of high airfares on passengers across West and Central Africa.