The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has warned the poaching of Nigerian pilots and engineers to Europe and the Middle East will pose a real problem for domestic and African carriers in five years time if left unchecked. NCAA Director-General, Dr Harold Demuren, said pilots and engineers were being offered thrice the amount of salaries currently being received in the country by foreign airlines. Demuren said this was a dangerous signal not only for the aviation sector but also for the nation’s economy. The NCAA boss explained that for this reason, many domestic airline operators in the country have refused to train pilots for fear that they would be taken away by foreign airlines; instead going for the ones already trained by others. Ethiopia and Kenya airlines are also experiencing the same problem and plans are being made to encourage airlines operating in the country and to encourage pilots and other aviation personnel to stay in the country with a good take home package.
Poaching a real problem for Nigerian airlines
