… says aircraft maintenance engineers are unsung heroes
The Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN) over the weekend announced that it was celebrating the dedication to service and expertise of its members.
President of the Association, Engineer Mubarak Haladu, in a statement made available to the press went down memory lane to recount how aircraft maintenance engineers work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that aircraft are airworthy and meet the highest safety standards leveraging on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) annexes along with the aircraft manufacturers documents.
He said: “For every aircraft you see in the air, an aircraft maintenance engineer must have CERTIFIED it as AIRWORTHY before being taken to the skies by pilots.
“We are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our members who work diligently to keep the flying public safe.
“Aircraft Maintenance engineers are the unsung HEROES of the aviation industry, and we are grateful for their hard work and commitment to excellence and service.”
SLAMEN is the professional organisation for all practicing aircraft engineers in Nigeria.
With a strength of about 4000 licensed aircraft engineers, the Society provides members with professional education through seminars, workshops and other forms of learning.
The Society is an affiliate of the Aircraft Engineers International (ΑΕΙ) with headquarters in Belgium. With AEI only concerning itself with the interests of air safety, aviation maintenance and maintenance qualified personnel throughout the world.
SLAMEN according to Haladu is proud to join the global aviation community in celebrating the International Aircraft Engineers Day on Friday May 24, 2024.
This day recognises the critical role that aircraft maintenance engineers play in ensuring the safety, security and reliability of air travel and its operations.
The SLAMEN President declared that the Association was using this occasion to highlight the importance of aircraft maintenance in the aviation industry.
To mark this occasion, SLAMEN, he said is organising series of events, including a symposium on aircraft maintenance best practices, a training session on new technologies, and an awards ceremony to recognise outstanding contributions to the profession.
Haladu on behalf of SLAMEN also used this opportunity to call on the government and industry stakeholders to support the development of aircraft maintenance infrastructure and training programmes in Nigeria.
He noted that there are quite a lot of qualified aircraft maintenance engineers in the country without employment and are required to be absorbed by either airlines or Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMOS).
He pointed out that Nigeria was yet to have a standard, equipped Hangar facility and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that can employ these professionals.
Haladu therefore noted the need for the establishment of multiple maintenance facilities and airlines to employ the qualified unemployed aircraft maintenance engineers in the country.
“We believe that investing in aircraft maintenance will not only improve safety, boost the growth of the industry and also save forex for Nigeria; the amount of foreign currencies that end up abroad via aircraft maintenance can boost the already weakened economy of Nigeria,” he noted.
“As we celebrate International Aircraft Engineers Day, we honour the dedication and expertise of our members and the entire aircraft maintenance community worldwide.
“We look forward to continuing our work towards a safer and more efficient aviation industry.
“Join us in recognising the critical role of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and let us work together to take the industry to new heights,” he said further