In 1960, this aircraft was constructed, having in mind all the indigenous peculiarities for effectiveness , the first pilots were at their best, having understudied the foreign pilots that managed it for years.
They were considerably good ,fair enough to avoid clash landing the aircraft and other things that would possibly mar its operational cost.
The weather has not been clement, turbulents here and there, even when it was pretty obvious it would crash land, it keeps moving, struggling to get to its destination.
As years go by, the quality of pilots on board keeps dwindling, creating more human but avoidable challenges for the aircraft and the passengers, making its clash landing more obvious that it was years ago.
Over 60 years when it took off,airborne to its Eldarado , the flight is yet to get to the destination.
The passengers are getting weary, frustrated and disillusioned, while the cabin crew jump and struggle to be the main pilot .
Sadly, many of them quite deficient in the ethics and professionalism of flying an aircraft as big as Nigeria Airways.
The Airways 60 years ago was the bride of all , a sight for sore eyes , a pride for all ,envied by all, who saw not only its dawn but its potential as one that would bring change unprecedented, in the way and manner things were done.
60 years gone, the aircraft is still airborne, not too sure when it would land safely to its destination.
Each moment brings its peculiar challenges and each pilot compounds it further by their careless and lacklustre approach to the very turbulence that makes landing very challenging.
We have been airborne too long, we have weathered many life threatening turbulence, severally the meteorological forecast has shown the imminence of a possible cloudy weather and the certainty of a crash if caution is not applied.
As bad as it could be, God has been merciful, pulling it from such a disaster.
Suddenly, there was a shout, a revolt ,something very close to a revolution, calling for a change of pilot.
It had never been like this, passengers speaking in one voice, demanding for a particular brand of a pilot to fly Nigeria Airways.
Before now, they never bordered much, who cared ? their interest wasn’t on who pilots or not, once they are given some packets of “biscuits and water” they are good and the aircraft can be flown by anyone only God knows.
The process wasn’t owned by the passengers, they were not involved, more at an aloof than committed .
The turbulence is getting more critical and dangerous. The “packets of biscuits and water”are no more sufficiently preferred to their life and the safety of the future of their children.
It is no more business as usual, else the entire generation airborne, would crash, destiny lost, future marred and prospects gone.
The cry and shout for a new pilot is getting to its crescendo. The passion with which they are shouting for the change is strong, ready to do the unimaginable, more of a moving train, the momentum too high, ready to crush anything on its way.
The aircraft is flouncing now, not because of turbulence, but a sign that it would soon land not crash land.
From 10 feet above the sea level of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, religious sensationalism and all the isms that have crippled its progression, it will soar again to a height off the danger zone, only if the yearnings of the masses are heeded to.
We are too close to the boiling point of colossal disintegration if there is no change of pilots, not anything goes pilot, not free for all pilot, off course not a square peg in a round hole pilot. The one with a steady hand to press on the buttons, whose desire to fly the aircraft isn’t just an ambition, isn’t equally not it being “my time and slot” but one with a burning dispassionate zeal to fly it to a safe harbour.
This is a matter of life and death! We are in it together, sitting on a dry gun power around glowing charcoals.
Nigeria Airways had been around. Its growth and progress should be better than what it is now. There is a tremendous misplacement of priorities,administration and its basic aeronautical ethics very inappropriate .
We have hovered enough, too close to danger zones. Now is the time to move off such critical areas and land the entire passengers safely, to a safer harbour, where all the wishes of our fore fathers would be actualized.
2023 the turning point of Nigeria Airways! We move in multitude!
