The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has built a ground support equipment from scratch at the company’s engineering and maintenance workshop to fuel aviation ground support equipment in Lagos.
The fuel bowser is the first in the history of aviation of ground handling in Nigeria to be created from scratch from locally sourced materials.
SAHCOL’s assistant manager, corporate communications, Ms. Vanessa Uansohia, said in a statement that idea to create the equipment was conceived by the company’s engineering team “to align with the Nigerian maxim of Use Nigeria, Buy Nigeria.”
“The production of the equipment is aimed at leading to higher efficiency of safe and fast service delivery which is what SAHCOL stands for,” she said.
The 3,000 litre capacity equipment is both manually- and battery-operated.
The equipment which is towable has all the features of an imported fuel bowser with modifications to fit the Nigerian terrain.
It is designed to be both rugged and comfortable for use by the handlers to dispense rapid fueling in a safe and spillage free manner.
Formerly, she said “fuel bowser among other ground support equipment was being purchased from aviation ground handling ground support equipment making companies in Europe and other western countries.
“This production has helped to overcome the problem of waiting incessantly for ground support equipment to be shipped to the shores of Nigeria and also waiting for clearance by the authorities at the port before being brought to the workshop for use.
“Another reason is that the construction of this bowser has saved the company the cost of sourcing for foreign currency to purchase imported equipment.
“As much as the tow fuel bowser is an equipment that is overlooked as not being as important as other heavy duty ground support equipment, it is of great significance for a hitch free refueling of ground support equipment on the ramp.
“To remain profitable and true to her esteemed clients in terms of service delivery in delivering uninterrupted and punctual service and handling in all of SAHCOL’s stations nationwide, the engineering team put their intense training to use by producing the fuel bowser from scratch.
