Civil Aviation, all over the world is a capital intensive industry that is propelled by high technological advances. The aviation industry in Nigeria is vast, dynamic and is constantly responsive to modern technology which dictates policy formulation on the application of new equipment, operating procedures and safety standards. Although it is an economic catalyst, it is not an all comers industry. However, advances in aviation technology, which we enjoy, have not been matched by improvements in the way we organize, manage and maintain the aircraft,
equipment and machinery used in the industry. There is certainly a maintenance back-up gap. Rather than ensuring the serviceability of their fleet through effective maintenance management, managers of resources in the industry have become insatiable in the acquisition of new aircraft, equipment and machinery to the detriment of ageing and aged aircraft which, unfortunately are abandoned and ignored without
maintenance.
The consequences of this attitude is the existence of a mortuary of rotting and rotted aircraft of which heavy finance have been committed. They are abandoned at the airports without attention. This situation aroused my curiosity and I become compelled by it to conduct an investigative study into the maintenance management in the Nigerian Aviation industry.
The basic question on my mind is why are managers of aviation establishments averse to equipment maintenance. In answering this question there will be an indepth definition of equipment maintenance and the description of the levels of maintenance. The paper will
consider the maintenance techniques used and their impact on the productive performance of the establishment mentioned above. It will also analyse the constraining factors to equipment maintenance in the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria and will appraise its performances in the aviation industry.
Finally, I will proffer solutions on key problem areas and highlight the benefit of equipment maintenance management in the aviation industry.
