…As Airline Confirms Payment Of Initial Compensation To Victims’ Families
As part of its commitment to safety, Bristow Helicopters said that Aviateq International Limited, a United Kingdom based company has commenced the auditing of the rotary wing giant’s operations.
The independent audit by Aviateq AbelNews learnt will last for one week
This is just as the airline stated that it has paid the initial compensation to the families of those, who died in the August 12, 2015 crash involving the airline in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) requirement.
It would be recalled that six passengers died in the accident of August 12,2015 while six others survived.
The Senior Legal Director, African Region Bristow Group, Olu Olubajo made this known while addressing aviation journalists at the airline’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
Speaking further, Olubajo stated that the essence of securing Aviateq was to improve and enhance the operations of Bristow Helicopters, adding that it is not an indictment on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)as being speculated in some quarters.
He added Aviateq duty is to come and see what the airline has done which cannot be seen physically and that the airline was ready to learn from Aviateq’s findings.
According to him, “We feel that it is necessary to invite an independent auditor to look at our operations and we are ready to learn from their findings.”
AviateQ International Limited provides specialist services to the aviation industry especially in the areas of auditing of aviation organisations and facilities, development and implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airports and Aircraft Operations.
Other areas of specialisation include: provision of a complete solutions in the analysis, development, implementation and maintenance of airport security systems and programmes.
On maintenance of S-76 Sikorsky helicopters on the airline’s fleet, he said that it was done in compliance with the manufacturer’s directive.
Recalled that Bristow had stated that it would engaged a reputable independent third party aviation firm to conduct an additional review of its entire operations in Nigeria, hoping that the review would be extended to other operators in Nigeria so that best practices can be shared to enhance safety across the industry and has commenced discussions with a number of operators regarding their participation.
On the letter written by NAPIMS to Bristow Helicopters clients to terminate their contracts with the rotary giant, the Senior Legal Director, African Region Bristow, stated that the communication did not follow the due process, adding that what NAPIMS did was a challenge to Bristow’s operations.
On what the organisation has learnt from the two recent accidents, Olubajo stated that it has made the company to look inward and that Bristow Helicopters took the accidents seriously.
Bristow Helicopters, he stated was not only committed to safety but that it was also committed to operating in Nigeria having operated for 50 years.
