Yemisi Izuora
Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, said it will review the existing Civil Aviation Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents Regulations 2006.
This is to make the rule conform with the updated International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPS.
The Bureau explained that the review became imperative to enable the policy be in tandem with its counterparts around the world. The draft document, which is now in the status of notice of proposed rule to the industry is already on the Burea’s website.
Statement issued in Lagos by the AIB spokesperson, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi hinted that since the current policy, which was promulgated in November 2006 came into operations, there had been series of amendments to accident and incident investigation by ICAO, especially to the Annex 13 of the convention.
Oketunbi said that AIB as one of the leading globally recognised aviation investigators, it could not operate in isolation of global standards and recommended practices.
Oketunbi in the statement quoted the AIB Legal Adviser,Mrs. Maureen Tsenongo as saying that the management had noticed some gaps in the current regulations, which the new one would seek to address.
Said Tsenongo ‘All relevant aviation stakeholders like airline operators, professionals, unions, oil companies operating within the sector, individuals with key interest in aviation, Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, and the general public are requested to come forward with their valuable contributions on the proposed amendment.’
She continued: ‘Their contributions, which should be forwarded to the Commissioner of AIB and other management staff should reach the Bureau within 30 days. Interested parties can also visit the bureau’s website: aib.gov.ng for necessary information and updates.’
The statement said, “We are doing this in conformity with our regulation 22, which reads in part, ‘These regulations shall be amended from time to time to bring them into conformity with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, any amendment thereto and the Civil Aviation Act.’”