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By Kabir Abdulsalam
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has achieved a landmark engineering feat by successfully completing a 4800-hour Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on a Dornier 228 aircraft entirely in-country.
This historic achievement marks a significant milestone in NAF’s maintenance capabilities, demonstrating self-reliance and technical proficiency.
NAF Spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet disclosed th is a statement on Monday that the maintenance, previously outsourced to foreign organizations, was completed at a lower cost and with reduced downtime.
While commending the team, the Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CACE), Air Vice Marshal Pius Oahimire, attributed the success to the Chief of Air Staff’s philosophy prioritizing logistics support and maintenance culture.
He commeded the Unit Commander, Air Vice Marshal Olanrewaju Oyename for his exceptional leadership and creating an enabling environment for engineers to thrive.
“The achievement marks a significant step towards the 431 Engineering Group’s vision of becoming a Maintenance Repair Organization (MRO)”, he said.
He encouraged engineers to continue striving for excellence, assuring that the NAF remains committed to providing necessary support and a conducive working environment.
He said the inspection of the aircraft, designated NAF 031, began in May 2021 but faced delays due to challenges in acquiring necessary spare parts.
“The 4800-hours inspection was the highest level of maintenance carried out on the DO-228 aircraft, involving a five-phase process”, he noted.
