The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is exploring sustainability models including granting incentives to indigenous carriers to drive viability for some of its secondary airports.
The authority also said it is considering putting in place a master plan for its aerodromes to decide the siting of intentional facilities.
Its Director of Airport Operations, Captain Abdulahi Mahmood disclosed this in Lagos in an interview with The Nation.
According to Mahmood, these initiatives have become compelling because of the need to drive efficiency for airports that litter the country to achieve comparative advantage.
The pilot of many years said FAAN management is already looking at options that will reduce pressure on Lagos and other busy airports by ensuring it attracts airlines into other aerodromes with incentives.
On the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), at the domestic wing of the Lagos Airport, he said FAAN is seriously considering space utilization strategies.
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Part of the strategies, Mahmood said, is the expansion of the terminal’s apron to boost capacity.
He said as more airlines are planning to increase their fleet, the constraint of space is increasingly becoming apparent.
Mahmood said FAAN is looking at pulling some of the aircraft traffic into other less busy airports for parking and other activities such that the facility will get some level of patronage.
On congestion at the old terminal of the Lagos Airport, the FAAN boss said the authority is working out an arrangement to install some screening machines and other operational equipment that would enhance the facilitation of flights for local carriers.
He said: “We must admit that the situation is a work in progress, but the challenge of inadequate space is being addressed. Though the old domestic terminal of Lagos Airport has few screening machines, about four to five additional pieces of equipment have been procured and very soon they will be installed.
“Space utilization is a challenge in that aerodrome, with its impact on airlines capacity. The management is looking into that and working on – going there such that there will be breathing space. We are looking at expansion of the apron, to boost available space for aircraft to park.
” A master plan for airports is being worked out, as the relevant department, in particular, engineering, is looking at the best location for facilities. If it will require giving incentives to some local carriers to take their aircraft to other less busy airports, or even state-owned airports on how to work out some of these challenges and issues.”
On airports’ security, Mahmood said a lot is being done to scale up surveillance as FAAN has engaged other security agencies, the Ministry of Aviation as well as the office of the National Security Adviser, on the best strategies to keep the facilities safe.
But, he lamented the effects of urbanisation and encroachment as part of the threats exposing the airside to vulnerabilities.
He said: “A lot is going on in that space, as a private company recently embarked on a project to establish how best to keep the facilities intact through the deployment of sophisticated surveillance equipment.”
Mahmood said efforts were also on- going by the Federal Government to reduce incidents of runway excursion as regular maintenance of airside facilities are currently running.
He said: “We are doing a lot by ensuring that all deficiencies pointed out during the last airport certification by regulators are closed. We are not relenting in keeping to the schedules for runway friction tests.’
Also speaking in an interview, the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr Olalekan Thomas said FAAN is developing a template that will assist the Federal Government derive more value from the air freighting of cargo.
Towards this end, he said the new directorate is collaborating with relevant stakeholders on ways and means of ensuring the aviation sector facilitates the installation/provision of intentional processing facilities at designated terminals to derive the full benefits of cargo to economic development.
Thomas said the vision of the new FAAN Directorate aligns with the AviaCargo Committee set up by the Federal Government to actualize opportunities in the cargo value chain estimated at over one billion dollars.
He said FAAN is working with other trade facilitation agencies to improve farm-to-market access for all categories of cargo