The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Medview set for international operations

    Managing Director of MedView Airlines Alhaji Muneer Bankole has unveiled plans to start international operations in the first quarter of this year.

    Bankole said the airline had done feasibility studies on the profitability of the international operations, which will help Nigeria to reciprocate its bilateral services agreement with other countries .

    He listed the international routes to include Abuja-Dubai, Lagos-Dubai, Kano-Jeddah, Lagos-Dakar, Enugu-Singapore among other routes, which will start in the first quarter of the year.

    Bankole said: ”Our international operations will begin in the first quarter of 2014 and we are going to fly to countries such as Abuja-Dubai, Lagos-Dubai, Kano-Jeddah, Abuja-Jeddah,Lagos-Accra,Lagos-Dakar,Enugu-Singapore,Lagos-Libreville, Nigeria-Israel.”

    The Medview boss noted that most of the countries that the airline intends to fly had already given permission to it.

    “Some of the countries affected have granted MedView Airlines the rights to commence operations. I can assure you that all the necessary documentation has been completed. We intend to commence international operations to some of the destinations in the first quarter of 2014.”

    He also said the airline flew a total of 339,043 passengers across the country last year.

    The total number of passengers flown last year, Bankole added, was a little less than its target of 400,000.

    According to Bankole, MedView airline would not relent in its effort in making its passengers comfortable and also give the customers the value for their money.

  • Overland resumes flights to Minna

    Overland Airways has resumed scheduled flight services from Minna Airport to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    The service, according to Overland Airways, started last week.

    Overland Chief Executive Officer Capt. Edward Boyo said: ”The resumption of flight services on the Minna-Abuja, Minna-Lagos and Minna-Ilorin routes is part of our objective of improving interconnectivity and facilitating social and economic ties across Nigeria.”

    “Overland Airways has also introduced additional morning flights from Abuja to Ilorin and afternoon flight from Lagos to Ilorin.”

    He said passengers could check-in online.

    According to Capt. Boyo, “Minna is an important city in the Northcentral zone and by linking it with Abuja, Lagos and Ilorin, Overland Airways will bring comfort and pleasure to the people of Niger State and the neighbouring states of Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi and Kwara.

    “Overland’s resumption of service to Minna will support the development drives of these states and other private initiatives geared at improving the socio-economic lives of the peoples.

    “We, particularly, would like to thank the Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu and his Executive Council for their hospitality. We assure air travelers in Niger State that they will be treated to Overland’s exceptional flight experience and courteous service.”

  • Discovery signs partnership

    Ahead of its resumption of operations, Discovery Air has signed technical partnership with British and French firms; ATC Lashman Limited and EAS Perpignor for the management of its fleet.

    The agreement will provide a template for the two firms to provide technical support for the Boeing 737 aircraft acquired by the airline for its operations.

    In an interview, the Managing Director of DiscoveryAir Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed said the airline was working hard to announce the take-off date of the carrier after approvals by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    He said: “DiscoveryAir has been working very hard to launch commercial air services in its bid to raise the standards of air travel in Nigeria by setting new trends in air service within Nigeria and beyond the African continent.

    “Our launch date is getting very close and a definite date would be announced as soon as we finalise all the regulatory approvals.

    “We are undergoing a painstaking, professional and transparent process leading to our certification. We have commenced our proving flights using our Boeing 737 aircraft and we expect to conclude the process soonest.”

    He added that training for the team was ongoing.

    Ticketing and Reservations, Airport and Office staff training is underway. Cabin Crew staff have been trained and more are undergoing training exercise, he added.

  • 14 cargo terminals ready soon, says Oduah

    The 14 perishable cargo terminals under construction will be ready this year, Aviation Minister Princess Stella Oduah has said.

    The first farm produce for local supermarkets and international markets will also be ready soon, she added.

    The terminals are located in Abuja, Akure, Ondo State, Calabar, Cross River, Ilorin, Kwara, Jalingo, Taraba, Jos, Plateau, Kano, Ikeja Lagos, Makurdi, Benue Minna, Niger, Owerri, Imo, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

    The minister said the terminals have been selected in line with their regional agricultural comparative advantage and private sector expressions of interest.

    Oduah stated this in an interview at the weekend in Lagos, adding that it has been projected that revenue that will accrue from the export of farm produce by farmers through the perishable cargo programme would surpass oil revenue in the next 10 years.

    According to her, the perishable cargo programme will also empower farmers who constitute 85 per cent of Nigeria’s work force and eliminate poverty in the country by 60 per cent.

    Oduah said though the perishable cargo programme is driven by the Federal Government, states and local governments have keyed into it as it would benefit the rural dwellers who toil in their farms but earn very little from their produce.

    The minister said the government would ensure that standardisation was achieved in terms of quality of the produce and the packaging so that it would meet the standard of international consumers in Europe, the United States and other parts of the world, some of which have already indicated interest to accept Nigeria’s farm produce.

    “Various private investors and state governments have expressed readiness to take advantage of the programme and contact the relevant authorities for permissions to establish Export Processing Zones or Free Economic Zones at the terminals,” she explained.

    Spokesman of Aviation Parastatals, Yakubu Dati explained that the abundance of varieties of fresh produce in the country and the growing economic importance of the sector, which stands at $ 1.53 billion (N245billion) has necessitated the development of the Perishable Cargo Terminals.

    Dati said: “They will enhance the farm-to-market value chain, consequently improving the food security network, rural transformation by creating rural employment opportunities in storage, warehousing and air/road transportation logistics.”

    He noted that the perishable export cargo programme would utilise open field cultivation for the fresh produce, as farmers would be able to transport their products to collection centres in the states, while refrigerated trucks would deliver the products to the primary airport hubs.

  • NCAA plans to install trackers in planes

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is contemplating legislation that will compel airlines to install automatic flight information reporting system in their aircraft.

    NCAA Director-General Captain Fola Akinkuotu said the law would make it mandatory for domestic airlines to comply with the installation of the safety equipment on their aircraft, as it is done in other parts of the world.

    He said the equipment’s installation had become imperative because it will assist to track the parameters of all aircraft engines flying the nation’s airspace as an additional measure to promote air safety .

    Akinkuotu, who spoke at a briefing at the NCAA Headquarters to review the activities of the industry in the year, said from next year, NCAA would digitalise the issuance of pilots licences flying in the country.

    He said this was informed by the need to have up to date information on all pilots flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    He said the NCAA invited foreign auditors to assist in the technical and safety audit of Dana Air to exchange ideas with other global experts and not on account of lack of in-house capacity by the regulator.

    He said the audit of Dana Air took enough time for the NCAA to carry out a comprehensive technical and safety investigation of the airline, in the interest of safety.

    He said Dana Air is carrying out closing of open times fingered in the audit carried out with a view to resuming operations very soon.

    He denied grounding the operations of IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines, saying the carriers violated the regulation which prescribes that they should have at least two serviceable aircraft before they could exercise their air operators ‘ certificate.

    Akinkuotu spoke of plans to train more aircraft inspectors and other technical personnel to boost its oversight capacity, adding that from nxt year, a law would be put in place to ensure that all domestic airlines undergo the compulsory International Operations Safety Audit ( IOSA), carried by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA).

    He said: ”From next year, the NCAA is going to put a law in place that will make the installation of aircraft flight information reporting system compulsory. Although, a few airlines have complied with this regulation, but the new law will make it mandatory.

    “In the same vein, the NCAA is also going to put in place a law that will make IOSA audit for domestic carriers compulsory. We will also make interlining of tickets one of our cardinal programmes. This will make air travel a lot more easier.”

    He further said: ”We have done a lot for the aviation sector this year. Safety is not a destination , but we have kept the journey running. Despite the air crash we recorded this year, we are not resting on our oars, to ensure more things are underway to improve safety in the air.

    “We will continue to train inspectors at the NCAA to boost our capacity .

    “We invited foreign auditors to assist us with the Dana Air audit to share ideas with other global experts , not because we lack in house capacity to do that. NCAA has enough capacity to carry out audit of existing airlines.”

     

  • Agric revolution in Western Nigeria

    Agriculture in the Southwest is about witnessing a turning point and the long-awaited “green revolution” may be within reach. Governments in the region are adopting market-friendly policies and committing more resources to the sector. This was the high point of the meeting of Commissioners of Agriculture in the Southwest held in Abeokuta. Daniel Essiet who was there, reports.

    Governments in the Southwest region are increasing their expenditures on agriculture. To support this, a Comprehensive Regional Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been drawn up.

    The programme, among others, aims “to help the states critically review their own situations and identify investment opportunities with optimal impact and returns.”

    The states include Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo. Director-General, Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), Mr Dipo Famakinwa, said the guiding framework of the DAWN‘s vision is make the Southwest region the first place of choice to live, to work and to visit. Famakinwa said the DAWN’s Framework projects initiatives that will harness the abundant resources of the region and unleash the collective enterprise to promoting the well being of the people.

    He said DAWN will foster regional cooperation and integration as a catalyst for decentralisation. The region is an economic block, and as such, a regional approach will be cost effective and economically viable especially in the areas of infrastructure, industrialisation, commerce the environment and agriculture .

    He said commissioners of agriculture in the Southwest have a vision of a united, and prosperous agricultural sector based on three strategic goals of access and participation, competitiveness and profitability and of sustainable resource management.

    This, he stressed is a long-term vision that will be pursued to bring about a new, different and superior agricultural order from the present one. The implications of the partnership, he explained, was that the governments of the region share a common perspective on the sector’s strategic issues; the burden of economic empowerment and enhancing the profitability of agricultural industries.

    The envisaged new sector, he maintained is geared to play its historic role of providing food and agricultural products and services to the region. To this end, he said the group has identified proposed actions that government is expected to perform, and has incorporated those applicable into its strategic plan for the coming years.

    He said the governments of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Oyo have agreed on a common set of development strategy that enables the states in the region and its indigenes to experience a common level and set of development across all spheres of existence .

    Specifically on agriculture, Famakinwa said the policy framework aims at linking agriculture to manufacturing through extending agricultural value chain to storage, processing and manufacturing. It also aims at encouraging the modernisation of agriculture and agriculture related infrastructure and transforming the sector such that it becomes a source of employment and entrepreneurship for graduates and young persons.

    He said the states have resolved to achieve rapid investment in modern agricultural and industrial infrastructure through agricultural estates for middle and small farms as well as industrial estates, parks and export trade zones.

    He stressed that there was a need to aggregate and consolidate farmlands under cultivation to achieve economies of scale in farm operations.

    Rising from the meeting in Abeokuta, the commissioners said rising food prices has contributed to raising the number of undernourished people.

    In its resolutions presented by the Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Babajide Arowosafe, the commissioners noted that the states were determined to have a positive effect on inflation and food security and above all, significant reduction of poverty.

    To this end, the commissioners resolved to tackle the spike in food prices due to soaring commodity costs and a growing population.

    The commissioners stressed the need to implement policy reforms to help transform high economic growth rates into widespread employment, broad-based poverty reduction and improved food security across the region.

    In order to increase agrifood production, the commissioners resolved to implement actions that will transform the face of agriculture by providing effective support for subsistence farmers and those engaged in commercial agriculture.

    Through dialogue and shared responsibility between the governments and farmers across the region, the commissioners expressed confidence they will be able to build the necessary agreements for the integral transformation of the rural sector.

    The commissioners maintained that food production is a top priority and a long-term public policy framework will maximise the potential of the region.

    The commissioners agreed to strengthen the resilience of the economy by improving local communities’ capacity for food production, expanding access to credit, , and reinforcing food security and food-crisis preparedness.

    The commissioners pledged to implement improvements in food availability and nutritional health as well as access to land.

    The commissioners agreed to promote private-sector-led growth by improving the functioning of the agricultural input market and consolidate key reforms in input management.

    The meeting agreed to increase investment in research, training, irrigation and storage to improve farm productivity in the region.

    The commissioners said there were ongoing efforts to catalyse private-sector growth and job creation, improve governance and enhance public-resource management, build economic resilience and reduce the vulnerability of its many farmers to drought and other shocks

    Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Ronke Sokefun said the meeting of agriculture commissioners in the Southwest was established as part of the regional development plan to stimulate a broad range of investment in agric infrastructure.

    She said Ogun State government is set to establish a cocoa plantation in Alagbagba in Odeda Local Government Area of the state. Already work has started with the first phase of the project which is on a 50 hectare land.

    Mrs Sokefun said the project which will bring back the lost glory of the state and Southwest will equally provide employment to hundreds of farmers who will be engaged directly on the plantation thereby improving their livelihood. She said planting will start early next year with improved varities that has 18 month gestation period.

    She added that the second phase of another 50 hectre will start immediately after the planting of the first phase and called for the cooperation of the community to make the project a huge success.

  • ‘Why there’s shortage of indigenous pilots’

    The inbility of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), in Zaria, Kaduna State to graduate students for a while, is the reason there is a shortage of indigenous pilots in the country, the acting Rector of the International Aviation College ( IAC), Ilorin, Captain Nuhu Abdulkarim, has said.

    Abdulkarim explained that before the International Aviation College , Ilorin was established in 2012, only (NCAT), in Zaria, was in existence, and for a period of about 10-11yeras, they were not producing graduates, that accounted for the shortage, he said.

    He told The Nation that there has been a dearth of professionals, not only pilots, but engineers and dispatchers. This is because we used to have only one recognised organisation, which is the NCAT, adding that the shortage of aviation professionals is having a ripple effect on the Nigerian aviation sector , as airlines are left with no choice than to hire expatriate pilots.

    The rector urged domestic airline owners to invest in the training of indigenous pilots , affirming that it is one of the ways of curbing the invasion of the industry by foreigners.

    He said: “Nigerian airlines are not training indigenous pilots. They are not participating in training, that is why people are poaching from one airline to another. I am a product of Nigeria Airways, the former national carrier that invested money in the training of Nigerian pilots. Airlines should sponsor pilots for training.This is what led, in the past to the poaching of trained pilots. When poaching was not more possible, they started bringing in expatriates.”

    He therefore urged corporate originations, state and local governments and private individuals to key into the training opportunity offered by the International Aviation College (IAC) to develop the needed manpower in the aviation industry.

    Abdulkarim said sponsoring students to the school would help the industry curtail the huge amount it spends in hard currency in taking students abroad for training, as well as save airlines huge sums ofmoney paid to foreign expatriate professionals yearly.

    In his words, “What Kwara State government has done was to provide the enabling environment. We are building capacity for the aviation industry and Kwara State government is helping. Every training you do here, you save the Nigerian economy about $200, 000 every year. I have expatriates here. I don’t like or hate them because we are one family under ICAO (the International Civil Aviation Organisation).

    This infrastructure has come to stay. Let Nigerians start sponsoring people. We are not saying you should not patronise South Africa or Dubai or anywhere, but let corporate responsibility happen, sponsor Nigerians and keep them. The capacity to train and the standard to train here is comparable to any institutions.

    The Rector said the college Is equipped with seven Diamond trainer aircraft and other world class facilities run in collaboration with oxford Aviation college in the United Kingdom.

    He said the kwara state government does not interfere with the day-to-day running of the college but has assembled the right professionals to ensure that the school is run in such as way as to maintain the standards as required by ICAO.

    Abdulkarim said the classrooms are computer aid instructions, run by Oxford, adding, “if Oxford sees that we are not doing what is there on that system, they will cut us off from the system. We cannot change the books. We cannot even photocopy any part of the book, we are not allowed. Oxford does not run the college, but we have a partnership whereby we use their books and the books have been approved by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).”

    He said though the school is estatablished and funded by kwara State government, it is being run on private sector standards. “From a business perspective, the College has no choice than to make sure that all its facilities are upgraded and ensure we are world standard at any time.

    “This is because we are the only one in the West African sub-region that offers world class training for pilots and other cadre of manpower in aviation in line with world standards. We have to make sure everything is done properly. The College is being run on private sector standards; it is not like another government parastatal that you expect would be run down,” he added.

  • NAHCO donates airport equipment

    The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Nahco Aviance, has donated medical equipment to airports across the country. It donated a defibrillator to the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA2, Ikeja.

    A defibrillator is used for delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to an affected heart and this particular one is an automated external defibrillators (AEDs) which automates the diagnosis of treatable rhythms.

    The equipment could be used by lay responders or bystanders successfully with little, or in some cases, no training at all.

    Announcing the donation, the Chairman of the company, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, represented by Mr. Ikechukwu Nwachukwu a Director of the company, said the gesture is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to the airport community.

    He stated that it is the company’s hope that all stakeholders will come together to provide the needed support for the industry to grow .

    On his own part, the Chief Executive Officer of Bi-Courtney, Mr. Christophe Pennick, commended the management of Nahco Aviance for the gesture, promising to put the equipment to good use .

    He assured that a clinic will soon be commissioned to the delight of all the airport users.

    Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. George Uriesi, represented by the Director, Security Services of FAAN, Sir. Wendell Ogunedot lauded NAHCO aviance for the foresight and called all stakeholders to emulate the company.

    Meanwhile, arrangement is on for the donation of similar equipment to other airports across the country.

    nahco aviance last week handled the inaugural flight of Turkish Airlines to Kano .

    Also , Mr. Norbert Bielderman, has been elevated Executive Director Operations of nahco aviance. Before the elevation, he was the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

  • FAAN forecasts 9.7m passengers for MMIA by 2017

    Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) George Uriesi has taken a look at the authority’s operations, predicting what they will look like in four years.

    Passenger traffic, he said, would rise from over 9.7million and aircraft movement to over 1,138,639 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos in four years.

    Cargo volume, he said, would rise from 170million kilogrammes to 188 million kilogrammes in 2017.

    Uriesi said passenger traffic at the Lagos airport grew from 5,117,034 in 2008 to about 7,185,669 last year while aircraft movement increased from 84,198 to about 105, 334 during the same period.

    The same trend, he said, was replicated in cargo. Freight rose from a total of 164 million kilogrammes to 170 million kilogrammes within the period.

    Lagos airport, Uriesi said, was expected to be a hub as the on-going construction of transit in facilities would have come on stream within the next five years, adding that the number of the airlines are expected to increase as a result of improved infrastructure.

    He called for a cordial relationship with stakeholders in a bid to foster industrial relationship.

    “I am glad to say that in the years under review, we have maintained healthy relations with our stakeholders while fostering positive industrial relations in MMA. Nothing will give me greater joy than the sustenance of the existing cordial relations and industrial peace,” he said, adding that effort is being made to improve working condition for enhanced productivity.

    Uriesi said the authority was yet to get the best because of several battles he had been fighting to liberate FAAN from the clutches of some selfish Nigerians who see the agency as a cash cow and want to milk it dry with different obnoxious concessions and agreements .

    He said he was satisfied with the progress being made in some of the regions, lamenting that most of his energy is wasted on what he termed, “distractions’’.

    “I don’t normally regret anything, but I do have one regret and that is that in my estimation, I am really able to give about 10 per cent of my capacity to FAAN and that is the truth,” he said, adding: “The remaining 90 per cent is distractions, and if I had the opportunity to give even 50 per cent of my capacity, a lot of things would have been different. I keep fighting to get more capacity allocated to FAAN. So, in general, whatever is happening is 10 per cent of my capacity; that is the truth,” he stressed.

    The FAAN boss explained that the regional meeting of the airport managers has remained useful and has served as a source of feed back to him. ‘’I always feel happy when am being briefed by the Regional General Managers. I get feedback from the regional meetings. You will find out that this is very useful in the near future as we begin to realise the resources of the organisation and make it more better.’’

    The Regional General Manager, South West, Edward Olarerin said the Southwest Region of the airport authority has continued to play a leading role among airport regions, especially in operations and revenue generation.

    He said it is the resolve of the region to further consolidate its leading position.

  • Law compelling airlines to install trackers coming

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), is to introduce legislation that would compel airlines to install automatic flight informational reporting system onboard their aircraft .

    NCAA Director-General of NCAA, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, said the proposed law would make it mandatory for domestic airlines to comply with the installation of the safety equipment on board their aircraft, as it is the practice in other parts of the world.

    He said the installation of the equipment has become imperative because it will assist to track the parameters of all aircraft engines flying in the Nigerian airspace as an additional measure to promote air safety .

    Akinkuotu, who spoke at a briefing at the NCAA headquarters to review the activities of the industry in 2013, said as from next year, NCAA is going to digitalise the issuance of pilots licenses flying in the country He said the digitalisation of pilots license is informed by the need to have up to date information on all pilots flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    He said the NCAA invited foreign auditors to assist in the technical and safety audit of DANA Air to exchange ideas with other global experts and not on account of lack of in-house capacity by the regulator.

    He said the audit of DANA Air took enough time for the NCAA to carry out a comprehensive technical and safety investigation of the airline, in the interest of safety.

    He said DANA Air is carrying out closing of open times fingered in the audit carried out with a view to resuming operations very soon.

    He denied grounding the operations of IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines, saying the carriers violated the regulation which prescribes that they should have at least two serviceable aircraft before they could exercise their air operators ‘ certificate .

    Akinkuotu spoke of plans to train more aircraft inspectors and other technical personnel to boost its oversight capacity adding that from 2014, a law would be put in place to ensure all domestic airlines undergo the compulsory International Operations Safety Audit ( IOSA), carried by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA).

    He said: ”From next year, the NCAA is going to put a law in place that will make the installation of aircraft flight information reporting system compulsory. Although, a few airlines have complied with this regulation, but the new law will make it mandatory.

    In the same vein, the NCAA is also going to put in place a law that will make IOSA audit for domestic carriers compulsory. We will also make interlining of tickets one of our cardinal programmes . This will make air travel a lot more easier.”