March 10, (THEWILL) – Seven years after it berthed in Nigeria, Santos Aviation has said that it will adopt a new approach to aircraft interior maintenance, in such a way that it will save cost for operators, give them value for their money and check capital flight from the country.
Santos Aviation is an aircraft interior maintenance company, a first of its kind in West and Central Africa and only one of four in Africa as a whole in designing the interior of aircraft with refurbishment of aircraft seats, leather seats upgrade, cabin noise reduction, carpet biding, door panel repairs, among others.
General Manager, Santos Aviation, Mr Segun Adesanya, who disclosed the plan recently, stated that the company’s primary reason of setting up shop in Nigeria since 2015, is to transfer technology, grow manpower and offer job opportunities in the aviation sector.
According to Adesanya, Santos came purposely to transfer some ideas, knowledge gathered outside the country and use it to impart in the industry as well as train Nigerians to the point of certification.
He informed that Santos has a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certification to maintain interior of aircraft that are manufactured or registered in the United States from the Boeing’s to Gulfstream and Cessna, stressing that this experience would be invaluable to the country.
He also said it was safer economically, both for the airlines and the country to use services, as it would curb capital flight as well as lengthy aircraft on ground (AOG) periods.
”The primary reason why we came to Nigeria, is to transfer technology and for us to transfer technology we must be here. When you see these expatriates, it’s not really helping the economy. I bet you 99.9% they don’t have Nigerian accounts, you make payments to their foreign accounts.
”We came over here purposely to transfer some ideas, knowledge we acquired outside the country over the years. We are not the only ones who do this, the Indians did it, the Iranians did it and the only difference is that the Indian government, the Iranian government supported their people more than Nigeria is supporting its own.
Adesanya also said that, Santos Aviation would be hiring a few people from outside the country who are born-Nigerians, but have acquired certification and training and they would be importing their knowledge like expatriates.
He also said that they will be training Nigerians for two years and at the end of that time, they will go through the process to get FAA licences.
On the benefits of Santos, the engineer said, “if you take your airplane outside Nigeria, you fly the plane in and during that time the aircraft is grounded, you are losing money, it can be eight to ten weeks without flying.
“Another thing I want you to take into consideration is that some aircraft owners after they take up a lot of bills, they don’t have the money to pay and the aircraft will be there more that schedule and all the time losing money.
Recently, Santos Aviation held the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) repair station in Nigeria, which was massively attended by stakeholders in the industry.
FAA is the largest transportation agency of the US government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country, as well as over surrounding international waters.
Speaking at the event, Capt Hans Kraus, in a keynote address disclosed that most plane owners make conservative interior design choices, but noted that any interior could start to feel outdated as tastes shift over time.
“The pandemic has forced both the industry and the traveling public to focus on what is truly important. Out of adversity comes opportunity and the aviation industry, like many others, shows that companies that innovate, think creatively and harness technology to take on seemingly insurmountable challenges will ultimately emerge victorious. Indeed, the industry can accelerate its efforts to meet the sustainability goals by utilising technologies and raw materials that are already available.”
Kraus informed that, in terms of partial full refurbishing of the entire cabin or just the carpet, Santos Aviation was very much ready with top-quality products and experienced craftsmen to deliver a look that far surpasses any assembly line.
“We approach each project as a blank canvas and delight in creating individual masterpieces. From cabin modifications and re-configurations to certification of emergency equipments, to include life vests and emergency escape Slides. Santos works with you to achieve any modification or desired look”, Kraus added.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
