TheCable

Adesola Amosu, an air marshal and the chief of air staff, on Friday said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) would ensure a strict maintenance culture for all its operational aircraft.

Speaking after decorating 35 NAF officers newly promoted from group captains to the rank of air commodores, Amosu assured Nigerians that the air force would be efficient in delivering air power to support ground forces.

“When it comes to aircraft, the issue of age, you can think about it but again what you must focus on really is the serviceability,” he said.

“You could have an aircraft, maybe 52 years old. But it is still being effectively utilised for war.

“It’s your maintenance schedule. If you give it the best of maintenance, sometimes an aircraft that is even 20 years old may even be airworthier than the ones that are just about two years old.

“It depends on maintenance approach and the culture that you have been developed over the years.

“I want to assure Nigerians that the air force would continue to provide very safe platform for flying, and then we are very cautious of the need to be efficient, even in terms of delivering air power to support our ground forces.”

Amosu said that the decoration of the officers was a mixed-celebration because NAF was still mourning the death of its officers during the unfortunate helicopter accidents.

The air force, which has been providing support for other security agencies in the north-east, has lost over three of its helicopters to crashes.

On Friday, some residents of Yola, the capital of Adamawa state, witnessed another crash of a military helicopter but the authorities denied being involved in the accident.