The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • ‘Fix poor air navigation facilities’

    ‘Fix poor air navigation facilities’

    The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (NATCA) has called on  the Federal Government  to  urgently fix air communication facilities in the Nigerian airspace.

    It said the poor state of such facilities required an emergency to ensure that safety was not compromised.

    NATCA  President , Victor Eyaru told The Nation that air traffic controllers have consistently received complaints of poor communication by pilots using the airspace, adding that the  equipment that ought to facilitate  controller-pilot very high frequency communication coverage was far below the  required standard.

    Such equipment gap, if not addressed, Eyaru said, could constitute a threat to air safety. He  predicated his concern  on the  observation of pilots, aircraft and passengers that fly within Nigerian airspace, pointing out that  on daily basis, Nigeria was losing  enormous revenue in foreign exchange because many aircraft  avoid Nigerian airspace due to poor communication facilities.

    Poor communication equipment being used by air traffic controllers, Eyaru said, has resulted in workers being overworked.

    “We  call on the Federal Government to investigate these claims by involving the end users (Pilots’ Association) and also request  urgent reforms within three months. After this period, the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers may be left with no option than to take necessary actions.”

    He  said the radar equipment otherwise known as Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria  (TRACON’s) working condition was appalling on account of  frequent failures, adding that the lifespan of the equipment had expired,  requiring  urgent replacement or upgrade. He said  the replacement and upgrade  of the total radar coverage should involve Air Traffic Controllers. He  decried the  lip service being paid to the  shortage of air traffic controllers, adding that urgent action was required.

    Eyaru  said statistics available to the association indicated that  Nigeria had  less than the required number of air traffic controllers. According to him, the South African Air Traffic Navigation Service (ATNS) , has pver 1, 076  air traffic controllers, 500 Area Control Centres and  two airport control towers, whereas the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) operate with 2, 500 personnel, 300 air traffic controllers  with two Area Control Centres and 32 control towers.

    He  called on the Federal Government and NAMA to immediately recruit more Air Traffic Controllers in the interest of air safety.

    He described as unacceptable the failure of aviation agencies to employ more air traffic controllers

  • IATA to review guidelines on travel business in Nigeria

    •Forecasts 7.2 billion passenger traffic in 2035

    International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global body regulating aviation business, has agreed to review and sustain guidelines that will enhance the growth of travel business in Nigeria.

    At a meeting  with the executives of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) led by its National President, Mr. Bankole Bernard last week, IATA promised to review the interest rates charged travels’ agents, who delayed remittance of funds to IATA. The body also pledged to accelerate updating of exchange rate on its billing settlement plan to help discourage speculation among travel agents.

    IATA  Regional Director, Mr. Dusan Kostic, who received NANTA delegation, in Amman, Jordan, IATA Regional Headquarters, Africa and Middle East, also assured that the global aviation regulatory body would play more proactive roles in the training and retraining of NANTA members.

    Kostic,  who appreciated NANTA leadership visit to its Amman facility, used the opportunity to introduce  a global management process meant to ease compliance with local trade laws for travel agents .

    Earlier in his presentation, NANTA President Bankole Bernard commended IATA for its progressive oversight of aviation business in Nigeria.

    He , however , called for more pragmatic approach to issues concerning Nigeria travel agents, who are key players in the downstream sector of the industry, particularly with challenges posed by the Nigerian economy in recession.

    Bankole assured that NANTA would deepen the relationship with the Africa and Middle East regions of IATA through strategic interface and visits whenever the need arises in future.

    Meanwhile, IATA expects 7.2 billion passengers to travel in 2035, a near doubling of the 3.8 billion air travelers in 2016.

    The prediction, according to investigations, is based on a 3.7percent annual Compound Average Growth Rate (CAGR), noted in the release of the latest update to the association’s 20-year Air Passenger Forecast.

    The five fastest-growing markets,  according to the forecast in terms of additional passengers per year, over the period, would be China 817 million new passengers for a total of 1.3 billion. In the US, 484 million new passengers  are projected for a total of 1.1 billion.

    In India, 322 million new passengers  are projected for a total of 442 million.

    In  Indonesia, 135 million new passengers  are projected for a total of 242 million.

    In Vietnam, 112 million new passengers  are projected for a total of 150 million.

    According to the forecast ,  the total market size  in Africa would be 414 million passengers.

    Africa is expected to grow by 5.1 per cent . By 2035 it would see an extra 192 million passengers a year for a total market of 303 million passengers.

    The  forecast indicated that top 10 fastest-growing markets in percentage terms would be in African countries including : Sierra Leone, Guinea, Central African Republic, Benin, Mali, Rwanda, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Madagascar.

    Each of these markets is expected to grow by more than eight per cent each year on average, over the next 20 years, doubling in size each decade. Confirming the forecast, IATA’s Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre De Juniac, said: “People want to fly. Demand for air travel over the next two decades is set to double. Enabling people and nations to trade, explore, and share the benefits of innovation and economic prosperity makes our world a better place.

    “The forecast for passenger growth confirms that the biggest driver of demand will be the Asia-Pacific region. It is expected to be the source of more than half the new passengers over the next 20 years.

    “China will displace the US as the world’s largest aviation market (defined by traffic to, from and within the country) around 2029. India will displace the UK for  third place in 2026, while Indonesia enters the top 10 at the expense of Italy.  Growth will also increasingly be driven within developing markets.

    “Over the past decade the developing world’s share of total passenger traffic has risen from 24 per cent to nearly 40 per cent, and this trend is set to continue.

    “The 20-year forecast puts forward three scenarios. The central scenario foresees a doubling of passengers with a 3.7 per cent annual CAGR. If trade liberalisation gathers pace, demand could triple the 2015 level. Conversely, if the current trend towards trade protectionism gathers strength, growth could cool to 2.5 per cent annual CAGR, which would see passenger numbers reach 5.8 billion by 2035.

  • Airbus to open office in Nigeria

    EUROPEAN aircraft manufacturing giant and lessor Airbus Group wants to  open an operational office in Nigeria.

    Airbus Group Vice President for Africa Vincent Larnicol broke the news last week during a visit to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

    He informed Sirika of the group’s interest in government’s plans to  attract concession into  the sector.

    Larnicol told Sirika that the company has expanded  its strong European roots to move forward  with fully owned subsidiaries in the United States (US), China, Japan, India and the Middle East .

    He said the group has spare parts centres in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Washington, Beijing, Dubai and Singapore.

    The group, according to him, has  engineering and training centres in Toulouse, Miami, Wichita, Hamburg, Bangalore and Beijing; with more than  150 field service offices across the  world.

    The intention to open an office in Nigeria, Airbus said, was a mark of confidence in the government’s agenda for the aviation industry.

    The group informed Sirika of its interest in the government’s plans of concessioning the nation’s airports as well as establishing a national carrier.

    He commended the plan to establish an aircraft leasing company in view of the inherent difficulties in acquiring new aircraft.

    According to him, Airbus, in its desire to get closer to its customers, was developing engineering, manufacturing and service capabilities in Europe, China, India, Russia, the Middle East, Singapore and the US. This, he said, informed the decision to establish its presence in Nigeria with the opening of an operational office.

  • Cronos begins Lagos-Malabo flights

    Malabo-based carrier Cronos Airlines plans to open a new travel gateway – Lagos – Doula- Malabo flights.

    The new route is a fallout of the partnership between Cronos Airlines and  Peacock Aviation and Allied Services

    The Chairman of Peacock Group, Aare  Segun Phillips, said business and pleasure travellers would have the opportunity to fly the new gateway, which is expected to begin with a maiden flight.

    The new service, he said,  will  open with a twice-weekly flight. The  flights would connect passengers  between Lagos and Doula, the commercial  capital of Cameroun and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital.

    According to Cronos Airlines and Peacock, the airline is bringing to bear its upscale service by giving passengers the best of flight services.

    Phillips said: “This flight will give intending passengers the opportunity to enjoy world-class in-flight services, on-time departure, peace of mind and efficient connectively. This is regardless of whether an intending passenger is on business or pleasure trip.”

    To make travel seamless, Peacock Aviation and Cronos Airlines’ Passenger Sales Agents across Nigeria have  opened ticketing offices in major cities, including Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, Port Harcourt and Aba. Tickets would also be available in other Peacock ticketing offices located within and outside the country.

    “Our interest is to connect people by air to every destination. We want to facilitate business and pleasure and enhance economic growth in Nigeria and Africa in general. We will move businesses people and tourists regardless of their race and colour to all destinations,” Aare  Phillips, said.

    He continued: “With this flight, businessmen travelling across these cities do not need to face hassles or travel through other means. Air travel remains the safest and most efficient way to move across cities, countries and destinations. This route has been carefully designed to meet the needs of both pleasure and business travelers.”

  • Dana gets award

    Dana Air has bagged the best customer service airline award. This  is the third time  the airline  would be clinching the award since 2014.

    The award, according to a statement  by the airline, was for its consistent efforts at improving customer experience, onboard hospitality and innovative online products.

    The Nigeria Customer Service Award is the prestigious annual awards that celebrate service excellence in Nigeria, by recognising companies that deliver effective and exceptional customer services.

    Commenting on the award, Dana Air Accountable Manager, Mr Obi Mbanuzuo,  said: “Our teeming guests recognise and appreciate our exceptional customer–oriented services, both on ground and in-flight; and we are committed to providing excellent passenger-experience whenever we have the slightest opportunity.”

  • SA drone operator issues warning as it flies across Africa

    SA drone operator issues warning as it flies across Africa

    A Cape Town company, UAV Industries, has announced that it is the first drone operator in Africa to be licensed to train pilots and operate drones, receiving their Remote Operating Certificate from the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).

    According to a leading online platform on military reports, Defence Web, globally the drone business is proving to be one of the most volatile new growth industries in recent years, South Africa being a relatively late bloomer. With only a handful of training providers in the country and thousands of uncertified illegal pilots, the industry is in urgent need of upskilling and compliance.

    Being  a leading training provider, the announcement means they are now the only company on the continent to provide insured and legal flights using their pilots for various industries in South Africa – film, agriculture, utilities, insurance and property, among others. They will immediately bring economies of scale and accessibility to the sector with trained pilots in major provinces, having trained over 120 pilots this year.

    As the local industry booms, dangers exist and collisions will rapidly become an inevitable part of operating – the greatest fear is South African companies may not realise they are employing non-certified drone pilots which put companies, property and potentially lives, at significant risk. The announcement came in timely.

    “It is about operational control in airspace”, explained Braam Botha, UAV Industries chief operating officer. This is shared by all sorts of aircraft but when you’re in an urban area you might be flying over people or over a road or buildings and there are risks attached, he added.

    “Unless you have gone through training, have been approved by the SACAA, and have a Remote Operator’s Certificate, plus other requirements, you are not allowed to fly within 50m of a public road, person or property you do not have permission from – including parks and beaches. It’s a legal necessity and as far as we’ve experienced, it’s the only way you can be insured, because there are numerous eventualities such as flying into a property, a vehicle, or a person.”

    Botha added that “for hobbyists, that’s not to say you can’t fly”. The SA Model Aircraft Association (SAMAA) has a number of SAMAA approved fields for members and provides insurance for model flyers, but you can’t make an income on the back of a SAMAA membership.

    To make a living, or work within a corporate environment, the legal process requires two licences – an Air Service Licence from the Department of Transport and the Remote Operating Certificate (ROC) from SACAA. On top of that, your drone needs to be registered and approved by SACAA and the individual needs a drone pilots’ licence. You’ll need insurance for third party risk – a drone crashing into a car as an example – but for the most part, you can’t get this unless you’re a legal operator.

    “I often compare it to a courier company not being insured or insuring its drivers, Businesses should know this and need to ask the questions of the pilot – are you insured, and are you and your drone legal?” he concluded.

  • Furore over airports concession, privatisation 

    Furore over airports concession, privatisation 

    Discontent is growing among players in the aviation sector over plans by the Federal Government to either concession or privatise some airports. Suspicion is rife among airline operators, union members and workers of aeronautical authorities over what model and scope the concession will take, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

    DISCONTENT is growing in the sector over plans by the Federal Government to concession or privatise the international airports.

    Stakeholders, including airline operators, unions and workers of aeronautical authorities, have accused the government of not making public the template for the proposed concession or privatisation  of the terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

    The allegation is based on speculations that the Ministry of Aviation may have concluded plans to hand over the juicy terminals to some Arabs managing airports in Turkey and some Middle East countries.

    Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has inaugurated a steering committee to prepare the handing over of the airports to prospective investors.

    Stakeholders are kicking against their non-inclusion in the committee, alleging that the minister might be acting a script.

    They said the government had to go the extra mile to make public the template to be used for the concession.

    The question many industry watchers are asking is: the number of airports for concession and what aspects of the airports to be concessioned without compromise to national security.

    Unions have vowed to mobilise against the proposal if the interests of their members were not protected.

    Sirika has, however, assured the unions that their members’ interest  would be protected. He said the workers would not lose their jobs, if they allowed the government to concession the airports to bring about efficiencies, create national wealth and prepare the ground for the airports to become hubs.

     

    Stakeholders forum in Lagos 

    But as lofty as the plans may appear, industry watchers are suspicious that it is another attempt to pull the wool over their eyes. They believe there is more to the proposal than meets the eye.

    In Lagos last week, a private firm convoked a conference to examine the privatisation/concession of the airports. Sirika was absent at the event. The minister’s absence, despite assurances of his attendance to the convener, Mr Michael Ckikeka, seemed to have confirmed the suspicion of players over the insincerity of the exercise.

    Head, Research and Stratety, Zenith Travels, Mr Olumide Onunayo, urged Sirika to convene a stakeholders’ conference that would draft a National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) to address issues related to airports concession.

    He said concessioning airports in Nigeria was premature, and if the government had to concession the airports, the terminals should be handled as a chain.

    Onunayo said: “On the concession of choice airports, there are fears because of Nigeria’s perculiar environment. It may have worked in the United Kingdom(UK). The UK’s privatisation worked well, because it is a mature political society, with experience of being a regulated environment for decades.

    “In less-developed countries, such as ours, governments should be tilting towards building and enhancing the transport system rather than just offloading the assets. This is to avoid a situation whereby we move from ugly state-owned airports to even uglier privately-owned airports. It is noteworthy that most reputable private sector investors would not consider buying an airport with fewer than one million passengers.

    “That is why airports have often been sold as a package – good and bad, small and large, domestic and international. In achieving the objective, the government should, as a first step, invite reputable international airport management companies, who will often achieve what governments can no longer take care of, improvements in capacity, efficiency and safety.

    “The private managers are internationally recognised airport operators with track records, who can be sourced and verified by a click of the mouse. They will act as advisors or management consultants to the government within a limited time frame; during this period, they will be given the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to manage, restructure and reposition,” he added.

    He said this would strengthen and improve FAAN’s corporate governance structure while our political environment would also mature to adapt to the inevitability of privatising the airports.

    “These airport management companies should be selected through an open and transparent process backed with international referral,” Onunayo added.

     

    Airline operators’ perspective 

    Domestic airlines, which are expected to benefit from the proposed airports concession, have accused the government of not carrying them along.

    Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of domestic carriers, Captain Nogie Meggison, said operators were yet to be notified by the Ministry of Aviation of any plan to concession the airports. He said operators were yet to see either the framework for the concession.

    Meggison said  the communication gap had cast doubt on the sincerity of the exercise, stating that stakeholders were confused about what aspects of the airports – landside or airside – are billed for concession.

    He said a clear picture should be presented on how the government intended to concession the airports.

    He said: “Are the airports to be concessioned or ruzn as public private partnership, a joint venture or build operate and transfer? How many are to be concessioned? For how many years?  How much is the yearly fee to be paid to the government?

    “But, I believe Nigeria needs airports of standards to take its rightful place to become hub of Central and West Africa,” Meggison added.

     

    Litigations over previous concession 

    To restore investor confidence, experts said litigations over poorly-handled airport concessions needed to be critically looked into by the government.

    This, they said, has become imperative as no investor would be willing to do business on a battlefield.

    Former Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, insisted that if  litigations on some concessions, public-private partnership or build, operate, transfer agreements were not addressed, the proposed airports concession would not work.

    According to him, the concession plan is good but the agreements have to be honoured in existing and future concessions.

    Demuren said: “When the government does not honour agreements, it destroys the sector and everything it has made. The concession plan is great but we can’t continue to operate by cancelling agreements all the time, in fact, all issues, litigations or agreements should be reviewed before we talk about another one.”

    He said if the government went ahead with the concession without resolving issues on previous ones,  there would be a flurry of litigations.

    He urged the government to engage the unions, be honest about the issue and not renege on its promises to Nigerians.

     

    Private sector  experience 

    Meanwhile, operators of the only private airport terminal in Nigeria, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), has thrown their weight behind the proposed concession.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Captain Jari Williams, said concession was the only solution to infrastructure deficit in the country.

    He, however, said aviation had not been spared in the wind of controversial concessions, which had either failed or were stalled by the government.

    “There are no two ways to save our almost-derelict airport terminals than concession,”he said.

     

    Sirika’s defence of

    concession 

    Sirika said there was no going back on the concession of airports, saying the concession would not only bring an excellent passenger experience but would turn the gateways around in one year.

    Sirika contended that the best way to attract passengers, investors and turn the airports into hubs was to concession them.

     

    Unions’  perspective 

    Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN)  President Comrade Benjamin Okewu said his colleagues were opposed to the exercise, especially the revenue-generating airports.

    The unions, he said, needed to be carried along to understand the intentions of the government.

  • Aviation professionals to promote members’ welfare

    A GROUP, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP), has been unveiled with the objective of promoting the welfare of its over 3,000 members.

    ANAP’s registration by the Ministry of Labour, according to its General Secretary, Comrade Abdulrasaq Siedu, took 11 years, because of resistance by other aviation associations, which saw it as a threat.

    Speaking at a briefing at the weekend, Siedu said ANAP, apart from fighting for the interest of professionals, would end the era of impunity where unions betrayed their members in collective bargain for improved working conditions.

    He said the association is open all aviation professionals except aircraft engineers and pilots.

    Siedu said a National Steering Committee, had been put in place to manage the affairs of the association for one year, before the delegates’ conference.

    Members of the committee include Comrade Yaya Kabiru Gusau, the National President-General, Comrade Timothy Ikechukwu Onwuka, National Treasurer and Comrade Adelegan Adeyemi as the Brach Chairman in FAAN .

    While calling on all cadre of workers to enlist in the group, Siedu said ANAP, would utilise constructive dialogue to engage the government on how to move the sector forward.

    ANAP’s core objective, Siedu said, would be driven on two planks : professionalisation of the industry to ensure round pegs in round holes.

    This is just the new group has thrown its weight behind ongoing restructuring in the sector leading to the removal of some directors and demotion of general managers in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Siedu called on the government to be transparent about the exercise and ensure the list of personnel recommended for proper placement is not distorted.

    Besides, FAAN, proper placement in other agencies, including Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is effectively and timeously carried out.

    Failure to do that, he said, would promote ill-feeling among career civil servants, who have looked forward to progression in service.

    He also called on government to revert FAAN to its original operational structure from its overbloated structure with unneeded lopsided personnel.

    Siedu , however, faulted plans by the government to concession four international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

    He said ANAP would seek audience with the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika on its position on the matter, because aviation workers were not favourably disposed to the planned airports concession.

    Siedu said FAAN has enough technical capacity to manage the airport.

    Gusau said the founding members of ANAP have over the years sought a new platform to avoid the infiltration of labour by people working against the interest of aviation workers.

    He said: “Our goal is to carry every group along. We will not allow our members to misbehave.

    The driving force for us to seek this new platform was sequel to inefficiency in union business and poor attitude to staff welfare by other groups. We will also ensure that all airport and air navigation facilities are up to the prescribed standards. There will be no betrayal of trust or double standard. We will work hard to safeguard the interest of aviation workers.’’

  • NCAA chief advises airlines on integrity

    NCAA chief advises airlines on integrity

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA)Director-General Capt. Muhtar Usman has called on service providers to imbibe integrity in their activities.

    Delivering a paper entitled: “Enhancing business transaction integrity in Nigeria’s aviation industry”, at a Business Transaction summit in Lagos, Usman urged service providers and airlines to remember that money-making should not be the only objective of starting a business, but that they should make honour and integrity the hallmark.

    “Irrespective of size, or range of products or the seemingly best customer service that a service provider/airlines prides in, it is nothing if it does not maintain integrity in business dealings, especially when it has to do with remitting money to the coffers of government as at when due to create enabling operating environment.

    “Enhancing business transaction integrity in business cannot be equated with anything else, but when a company is known for its transparency and integrity in business, it increases its chances to grow, make huge profits and have a loyal customer base,” he said.

    Section 12 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 states: “There shall continue to be a five per cent air ticket contract, charter and cargo sales charge to be collected by the airlines and paid over to the Authority.”

    However, he lamented that some airlines had defaulted in paying back the entrusted money to the appropriate owner.

    “Where lies our business integrity if we cannot give back what is entrusted into our hands to the owner. It is sad to point out that some of us cannot decipher operational cost from profit margin. A good businessman endeavours to separate the profit margin with the operational cost.

    “And if we were doing this, we would have been able to separate the five per cent service charge from the real ticket sales and draw our operational/profit margin from the actual,” he said.

    Usman debunked claims by airlines that the five per cent ticket sales charge (TSC) and five per cent cargo sales charge (CSC) collected as tax or levy had become a drain on their earnings.

    “This is a misrepresentation of the fact. The TSC as contained in the ticket is paid by passengers. The airlines’ role is to collect and remit same to the regulatory authority.

    “The TSC and CSC are collected at source from passengers by airlines on behalf of the federal government, to enable all aviation agencies tackle safety and critical issues as they arise to engender safe, secure and efficient air transportation and allied services for the overall benefits of all stakeholders,” he said.

    The director-general added: “Business activities have been made so simple by the e-technology. This is very prominent in the private sector; the success of this has made the government to embrace the electronic payment system. The Treasury Single Account (TSA) is electronic driven and has recorded huge success.

    “It is expected that the aviation industry, which is a high tech industry, should key into the e-payment system in all transactions. The question here is: why can’t airlines design an e-payment portal that can enable direct remittance of the five per cent charge to the appropriate quarter? It is achievable, just that the airline operators are fond of trading with monies that do not belong to them and they have gotten used to it.”

  • Group decries low manpower at airports

    Members of the National Air Traffic Communicators Association of Nigeria (NACAN) have decried the inadequate number of personnel at the 24 functional airports.

    Speaking during the opening of the association’s fourth Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos, its President, Mr Nkambo George said there were only 97 licensed communication personnel nationwide, adding that they were grossly inadequate to cover the airports in the country.

    Nkambo, who also stressed the need for an aeronautical fixed telecommunications network, a ground-to-ground operation for safe, efficient, economic air navigation, said some stations, such as Kebbi, Bauchi and Dutse lack the facilities.

    According to the NACAN president, there was no recruitment in the department between 1989 and 2012. He then  appealed to the management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to approve the basic training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria for officers to reduce the acute manpower shortage.

    Nkambo noted that some officers in NAMA were hell-bent on merging or integrating two departments with distinct functions.

    He claimed that mandatory local and foreign courses for officers had been put on hold for more than five years even when there were allocations for them.