The federal government has directed an immediate investigation into the use of an unauthorized equipment by Aero Contractors Airlines at the conclusion of a charter flight to Bauchi over the weekend .
Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika who directed for an immediate investigation said the incident is inconsistent with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).
A statement by spokesman of the aviation ministry said the investigation will determine the immediate and remote causes of the incident with a view to developing and implementing measures that will prevent a reoccurrence of the unsafe and unacceptable procedure that exposed passengers to high risk of serious injury.
He reiterated that if the airline is found culpable, the full weight of sanctions within extant laws and regulations would be applied on it.
The minister assured the traveling public that the ministry of transport in collaboration with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will ensure strict adherence to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations as well as ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices by all operators.
A special charter flight operated by Aero to Bauchi, on Saturday, had problems with unserviceable equipment by the airport management in disembarking about 34 passengers from Abuja. As a result, the passengers had to use a ladder to disembark.