Findings have revealed that local airlines, charter operators and privately owned jets n Nigeria spend about N250 billion yearly on aircraft maintenance and training of pilots.

According the investigation, airline operators pay a minimum of $500, 000 for engine overhaul and about the same amount of money for C-Check maintenance on a Boeing 737 aircraft.

An inspector with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) revealed that the cost of carrying out maintenance is very expensive because of the exchange rate, as Nigerian airlines sell their tickets in Naira but the maintenance is paid in dollars.

He however stressed that the solution to the high cost of overseas maintenance, is the establishment of MRO facility in Nigeria.

It is expected that the federal government would facilitate the establishment of MRO in Nigeria in order to save domestic airlines the massive sums they spend overseas to maintain their aircraft.