Engineers from the Nigerian Air Force 431 Engineering Group (Engr Gp), Kaduna has reactivated a Dornier DO-228 aircraft, which had been grounded for 23 years.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, lauded the NAF 431 Engineering Group (Engr Gp), Kaduna, aircraft engineers and technicians having accomplished the feat.
Air Vice Marshal Olusola F Akinboyewa, Director Public Relations and Information in a press statement on Wednesday noted that the project was initiated sequel to a Presidential Directive for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to transfer grounded platforms to the NAF for evaluation and possible reactivation. The aircraft, originally designated “5N-MPS” and operated by the now defunct Ministry of Mines, Power, and Steel, had been grounded at the DANA facility in Kaduna since 2001.
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, designed and first manufactured by Dornier GmbH (later DASA Dornier, Fairchild-Dornier) from 1981 until 1998. The aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers and is capable of operating from rough runways and in hot climates. It is powered by a pair of Garrett TPE331 turboprop engines and has a supercritical wing that generates large amounts of lift at slow speeds.
The NAF took on the challenge of reactivating this aircraft, a Dash 201 Series with only 1,081 flight hours since new, considering the task a unique opportunity to restore a valuable national asset. The reactivation process, for the grounded aircraft – redesignated “NAF-039” – was conducted between June and September 2024, involving meticulous planning and painstaking execution by a crack team of 5 engineering officers and 40 technicians from the NAF 431 Engineering Group (Engr Gp), Kaduna.
The Air Chief while commending the NAF 431 Engineering Group (Engr Gp) noted that the project reflects NAF’s resolve to optimise resources, strengthen its fleet, and uphold national security through operational excellence.
“The successful reactivation of NAF 039 is not just an operational gain; it is a statement of our capabilities and our commitment to self-reliance,” he added. Significantly, this accomplishment builds upon the NAF’s earlier successes, such as the conduct of the first in-country 4,800-hour inspection on another DO-228 aircraft in January 2024.
The newly reactivated aircraft will bolster the NAF’s tactical airlift capabilities by joining the fleet of DO 228 aircraft, a platform still actively used worldwide.
Similarly, in June last year, Nigerian Air Force also accomplished a 4800-hour Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) on a Dornier 228 (DO-228) aircraft. This task, traditionally outsourced to foreign Maintenance Repair Organizations (MROs), marks a pivotal shift in the NAF’s operational capabilities.
This achievement solidifies the NAF’s position as a formidable player in Africa’s aviation sector, with the potential to lead in indigenous maintenance and technical innovation.
Similarly, in March 2017, the Nigerian government announced plans to refurbish and re-commission three grounded Dornier DO-228 surveillance aircraft of the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) which have been stripped of some of the avionics and camera systems over the past few years.
The aircraft were configured for mission patrols and equipped with the on-board stabilised long range observation system and aerial cameras.
The NAF and Dornier Aviation already have an existing partnership, however, in 2023, both organizations reiterated their commitment of his organization to further strengthen the existing collaboration and cooperation.
