The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Fed Govt reads riot act to airlines

    Domestic airline operators that violate civil aviation regulations will be penalised, the Federal Government has said.

    The warning came on the heels of the goverment’s plans to install air safety infrastructure and air field lighting equipment at airports nationwide to ensure 24-hour operations.

    Visual flight is the terminology used for airports where only daily light flights are carried out due to absence of air field lighting that guarantees 24-hour flight services.

    The spokesman of aviation agencies, Mr Yakubu Dati, told The Nation that Calabar and Yola Airports which are restricted to day light flight operations will benefit from the measure.

    He said equipment for air field lighting for Calabar Airport had arrived an the country and would be installed soon to make the aerodrome instrument flight rules compliant, adding that until such equipment is installed, domestic airlines must continue to abide by the operating standard and rules for such airports as prescribed by the civil aviation regulations.

    The government, Dati said, would not allow infringement, by airlines so as not to jeopardise air safety.

    He explained that the government is vigorously pursuing the remodelling of the major airports to ensure that the projects are delivered in good time for the use of passengers, saying that all air safety infrastructure including air field lighting that will improve safer flight are being installed at airports nationwide.

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to sanction Arik Air for violating the rules when it operated a flight into Calabar Airport when the aerodrome was closed for operations.

    Its Director-General, Captain Folayeke Akinkuotu, said the infraction amounted to violation of civil aviation regulations. It is against the regulation for airlines to operate any flight into an airport that is closed for day light operations, he said.

    “The attention of the NCAA has been drawn to the unfortunate incident that happened in Abuja on Thursday September 26, 2013. The NCAA finds the handling of the Calabar bound flight and the passenger rights as in total contravention of the NCAA Consumer Bill of Rights,” Akinkuotu, said in a statement.

    “The Calabar bound passengers having been delayed for over three hours in the first instance, are entitled to compensation and were unfairly treated. Arik Airlines acted in total breach of the law. Such shabby and total disregard for passenger comfort and rights will not be tolerated and will attract appropriate sanctions,” it said, adding that NCAA finds the action of the passengers against the Arik airplane and the passengers on board same flight as unacceptable and amounts to an act of illegality. “ It is unlawful and punishable by law. Passengers need to beware and be law-abiding. NCAA will continue to monitor these infringements and will ensure compliance with the law.”

    Arik Air is yet to respond to the alleged infraction by the NCAA. Officials of Arik Air were yet to give their side of the story.

    Corroborating the position of NCAA, the spokesman of aviation agencies, Mr Yakubu Dati said the government will no longer tolerate any act of impunity by airlines.

     

  • Imo Cargo Airport ready soon

    Imo Cargo Airport ready soon

    Plans by the Federal Government to make Sam Mbakwe International Airport in Owerri, Imo State, a cargo gateway will soon be realised, the Airport Manager, Mr Young Ekwekwuo has said.

    He said the cargo apron of the airport under construction will be completed before the end of this year.

    He, however, added that disruptions caused by youths seeking financial rewards have been resolved.

    “The elders have appointed elder statesmen to mediate and since then, the hostilities from the youth is a thing of the past. We now have the enabling environment; the contractors handling the project are no longer being disturbed,” he added.

    He said it had been a challenge managing the airport, especially that of the youth restiveness on land compensation, but expressed delight with the way the matter was handled.

    Ekwekwuo said the airport has been fenced to ward off intruders, adding that security measures have been put in place to ensure safety.

    On the projection of the airport, he explained that after the inauguration that the sky would be the limit because the airport has been fitted with the state-of-the-art equipment.

    “At the beginning, there were challenges and Nigerians never believed that this thing will get to this stage. Those of them who spoke against the remodeling now have a rethink. They never knew that such a terminal building can be reformed, remodeled and reconstructed to what it is today,” Ekwekwuo, said.

  • ‘Etihad embarks on equity investments’

    Etihad Airways said it is increasing its global presence through a mix of organic growth and strategic partnerships.

    Speaking at the FVW Kongress in Cologne, Germany, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan, said the airline is engaged in three major transactions.

    He listed the transactions to include the acquisition of 24 per cent of India’s Jet Airways, a 49 per cent stake and management contract in Air Serbia, and increasing equity in Virgin Australia from 10 per cent to a target of 19.9 per cent.

    “Global reach is beyond the capacity of any single airline. Progress must come through partnership,” said Mr Hogan. “The investments we are making are delivering significant benefits not only to the airlines but to our passengers and freight customers. We will consider more strategic partnerships if they add value.”

    Etihad Airways launched its equity investment strategy in 2011 with the purchase of a 29 per cent stake in airberlin, followed by a 40 per cent investment in Air Seychelles, which included a five year management contract.

    This was followed last year by the investment in Virgin Australia and a three per cent stake in Ireland’s Aer Lingus, this year’s Air Serbia deal and, subject to final approval, the Jet Airways investment.

    Together, Etihad Airways and these six airlines serve more than 340 destinations with a fleet of 511 aircraft. In 2012, they carried a combined total of more than 91 million passengers – comparable to large airline partnerships in Europe and Asia.

    “Equity investments deliver synergy benefits which cannot be achieved through legacy airline alliances,” Mr Hogan said. “Legacy alliances are focused largely on network and revenue benefits.”

    Our equity alliance delivers much broader benefits for all of the partners including opportunities to reduce costs through resource sharing and joint procurement.”

    Mr Hogan said the foundation investment in airberlin had delivered significant gains to both carriers, with more than 260,000 passengers flying on their combined networks in the first half of 2013 – more than four times higher than the first half of 2012.

    Etihad Airways now codeshares on 61 airberlin routes, while airberlin codeshares on 31 routes of Etihad Airways. Together, the airlines operate 42 flights each week between Abu Dhabi and four German cities – Frankfurt and Dusseldorf (both airlines), Munich (Etihad Airways), and Berlin (airberlin).

    In addition, plans are being implemented to leverage a range of other synergies.

    The Etihad Guest and airberlin Topbonus loyalty programs have been integrated, enabling guests on both carriers to earn and redeem mileage points on either airline.

    Reservations and ticketing facilities for airberlinwill be established in Etihad Airways’ new European headquarters in Berlin.

    And both airlines have agreed to identical interiors, engines and a joint implementation program for their new Boeing 787-9 aircraft, the first of which will enter service in 2014.

    “Our equity alliance is a new business model for the airline industry,” Mr Hogan said.

     

  • Why investors eye domestic airline business, by experts

    Improved operating environment, removal of import duties on aircraft and spares and easy acquisition of aircraft have been identified as incentives driving investment in the industry.

    Some experts, Chris Aligbe, Sheri Kyari and Francis Ayigbe believe that there is room for more carriers if the would-be investors use the right aircraft model in their operations.

    They canvassed the owner/investor model as the best for the business, arguing that the owner/manager model as is the case with many airlines was responsible for the high rate of failure of domestic carriers.

    They told The Nation that many airlines failed because the managers lack the knowledge and technical skills to keep their operations afloat.

    Among the new carriers billed to resume operations soon are: Discovery Air, NigeriaOne, the proposed private sector national carrier, Hak Air and others.

    According to them, an owner/investor is one who has the technical knowledge of aviation and sufficient funds to invest in the business, while an owner/manager doesn’t have technical knowledge of the industry, but has funds to invest.

    Aligbe, the Chief Executive Officer of BeluJane Konzults, said the recipe for running a profitable carrier is using the right operational model and equipment.

    He said Nigeria could only deliver profitable carriers if the operators were ready to imbibe the culture of investor/manager, which would bring about inclusion of technical expertise in the running of the airline as opposed to undue interference by the owner/manager.

    Aligbe said: “People are investing more in airlines because they believe that the environment is friendlier. Now, operators could get newer aircraft that are more fuel efficient, added to this is the opportunity created by the waiver granted operators for aircraft and spares.

    This has reduced the cost of the business, and has added value. He said at the same time, the quest for air travel is rising, and there is increased passenger traffic which presents an opportunity for growth. He said the market is huge and yet to be fully exploited by indigenous operators.

    The industry is expanding, and this has opened opportunity for new investors who could inch into the market, he said, adding that the greatest problem of domestic airlines is the owner manager syndrome, which was what killed the defunct Nigeria Airways, he added.

    He said nearly all the airlines that have collapsed are traceable to the problem of owner manager. If this factor could be addressed, the business could fare better, he said.

    Ayigbe, an industry analyst, said undue interference by the owners of the business result in airline collapse.

    In the case of private airlines, the list is endless, the owner manager factor, is in most cases responsible their collapse, he said, adding that this factor has to be removed, if they must be run profitably.

    Ayigbe, who is also the former spokesman of Virgin Nigeria Airways, said many airlines were eager to come to Nigeria because they believe they can offer better management and service than the ones that existed before.

    He said the new investors think they can achieve a shift of that paradigm. The fact is that many airlines do not engage in proper revenue management, forensic route evaluation , revenue accounting . But, the new investors think they would overcome such challenges by getting it right.”

    He said: “More airlines are coming in because it is a high revenue yielding areas. People are coming to the industry for many reason. They think it could provide opportunity to engage in round tripping of money under the guise of running an airline.

    “Some are coming in for ego tripping. There should be security clearance for the would be investors.

    “Most of the airlines are not structured to make profit.”

     

  • Delta, Virgin Atlantic Airlines accept U.S. decision

    Delta Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited have accepted the decision by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to okay the carriers’ joint venture by granting antitrust immunity on routes between North America and the United Kingdom.

    The DOT’s ruling is a confirmation of the clear consumer benefits of the partnership and will allow the carriers to deepen their cooperation, offering more flight choices for travellers on both sides of the Atlantic.

    The decision will improve the travel options for business customers in New York to London market.

    From March 30, next year, Delta and Virgin Atlantic will operate a harmonised schedule between New York-JFK and London Heathrow featuring seven daily nonstop services at convenient time slots.

    The new schedule will include departures every 30 minutes during the early evening peak and then hourly from New York-JFK to London Heathrow and a spread of seven daily flights from London Heathrow to New York-JFK, including two late afternoon and early evening departures. These services will be complemented by two daily nonstop flights between New York’s Newark airport and London Heathrow.

    Delta and Virgin Atlantic will operate the following New York-JFK-London Heathrow schedule beginning March 30, 2014

    The two airlines will team up to co-ordinate other schedule and network opportunities. They will operate 32 peak daily non-stop flights between North America and the United Kingdom.

    Delta’s President Ed Bastian said: “We are delighted that the Department of Transportation recognises that the immunised partnership offers significant advantages to customers.”

    The freedom to cooperate fully with Virgin Atlantic will initiate a new era of greater competition in the New York to London market where it is much needed. We have a proven record in making joint ventures succeed and we look forward to building our relationship with Virgin Atlantic.”

    In their filing to the DOT, Delta and Virgin Atlantic noted that nearly 60 percent of the slots at London Heathrow Airport are controlled by British Airways and its joint venture partners.

    As a result, the carriers dominate air travel between the U.S. and the U.K, including the New York-London market, the most important business market in the world. By combining Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow slots and U.K. brand strength with Delta’s powerful U.S. network, the joint venture will offer significant competition in the market and benefit consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.

    Craig Kreeger, Virgin’s CEO added: “Today represents a huge opportunity for both Virgin Atlantic’s passengers and our business. Our partnership with Delta means we will be able to offer convenient aligned schedules and a much broader network, giving the best possible travel choices and on board experience to trans-Atlantic passengers.

    For almost 30 years Virgin Atlantic has offered an award-winning experience and service to passengers traveling across the Atlantic, and today’s ATI approval means we can build on this momentum and improve the consumer landscape at Heathrow for the better.”

    With the customer at the forefront of their partnership, the airlines unveiled a new schedule for the competitive New York to London travel market designed with business travellers in mind and offering a total of nine daily nonstop flights.

    24 flights will operate between London Heathrow and popular U.S. destinations such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and Washington. Business customers will also benefit from a high-quality product: Delta and Virgin Atlantic’s business class uniquely includes forward-facing fully flat-bed seats, all with aisle access on every flight. In addition, both airlines will offer a premium economy product on its trans-Atlantic services.

    Customers are already seeing improved travel options from the partnership. For instance, customers are already benefiting from codesharing across 104 routes offering seamless connections to 63 destinations across North America and the UK.

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  • ExecuJet Africa berths in Lagos

    ExecuJet Africa berths in Lagos

    Africa’s leading business aviation company, ExecuJet last week officially launched its state-of the-art Fixed Based Operation (FBO) faciltiy at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria.

    The FBO, located in Quits Aviation Centre, will now process all international business aircraft arrivals and departures for officials from the Federal Airport Authorities of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Customs and Immigration Authorities.

    Ettore Poggi is Managing Director of ExecuJet Africa, he spoke to newsmen at a media parley: “These new services are a direct response to customer demand. Our passengers and crew can now enjoy a more efficient and comfortable passage when arriving or leaving Lagos. This additional capability reinforces our commitment to provide the highest level of customer service in Nigeria.”

    In addition, the multi-national aviation group has also introduced on-ramp refuelling at the Lagos FBO with two dedicated Jet-A1 fuel tankers provided by MRS. The tankers are on-call 24/7 with back-up fuel available.

    Peter de Waal, CEO of ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria, adds: “The handlings at our Lagos FBO have increased considerably, almost doubling in the last six months. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved so far and of the response and support we have received from all parties, including our staff.”

    ExecuJet’s Lagos FBO offers state-of-the-art ground support equipment, a VIP lounge and 24-hour support capabilities. World-class passenger and crew amenities are provided by a team of experienced staff, offering technical and maintenance assistance, flight planning, weather reports, catering, fuelling and hotel accommodation.

    The ExecuJet Aviation Group is a leading global business aviation organisation offering a diverse range of services including aircraft management for private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft completions management and fixed base operations. Headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, ExecuJet has operations in six regions – Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, embracing a workforce of over 830 experienced staff.

    The ExecuJet Aviation Group manages 150 business jets worldwide under the most stringent safety standards. Its commercial fleet is operated under the regulatory umbrella of seven regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates (AOCs). ExecuJet has many authorised maintenance facilities throughout four regions, certified to work on most business jets. The ExecuJet Aviation Group operates 18 world-class FBO facilities worldwide.

  • British Airways increases African flights

    British Airways is growing its African frequencies, improving connectivity through London Heathrow and introducing its latest products.

    In West Africa, it will increase its daily services to Ghana by three a week from next month, using Boeing 767s to complement Boeing 777 flights, bringing the total number of weekly services to 10.

    From Summer 2014, a larger four-cabin Boeing 747 aircraft will replace one of the Boeing 777s on the route. It will also add a fourth weekly service to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    In East Africa, it will add an additional frequency to Uganda to offer four weekly flights. The schedule will be amended to offer better connections to other international services though Terminal 5.

    North African services have been bolstered by a fourth weekly flight to Tripoli.

    South African customers are already able to make bookings for the A380, the airline’s largest and most modern aircraft, which begins flying to Johannesburg on February 12, 2014.

    This is only the third A380 route to be announced after Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

    Services to Cape Town will double from the current daily service to a double-daily operation over the busy South African summer season. British Airways is the only airline which flies directly from Cape Town to London year round.

    It is also investing in its lounges and by the end of the year the Cape Town and Johannesburg facilities will be upgraded to reflect the customer experience at in the Terraces lounges in the award-winning Terminal 5.

    “We continue to consider the continent as an important growth market and the acquisition of bmi, our fleet renewal programme and Terminal 5 have enabled us to grow frequencies, introduce new products and provide more convenient connections for our African customers,” says Ian Petrie, Regional Manager Africa.

  • ‘African airlines record rise in passenger traffic’

    African airlines grew passenger traffic by 7.5 per cent in the second quarter of the year as against the 2012 figures, the Director-General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Tony Tyler, has said.

    Tyler said African airlines recorded an increase of 5.6 per cent in capacity to become the second region with load factor averaging 1.3 percentage points. He alligned the increase to expansion in trade, which, he said, is driving the rise in air travel in the continent.

    He said: ”African airlines’ traffic climbed 7.5 per cent compared to July 2012, representing the second best among the regions, while capacity rose 5.6 per cent, and boosting load factor by 1.3 percentage points to 73.6 per cent.

    He said expansion in trade is driving the healthy rise in demand for air travel on the continent, adding that overall, revenue per passenger kilometers (RPKs) went up by five per cent, compared to July 2012. All regions were up year-on-year, with emerging markets recording the strongest increases.

    He said: ”Capacity rose 5.5 per cent on the previous July, ahead of demand, and industry load factor dropped 0.4 percentage points to 82.4 per cent Although July’s five per cent performance was not as strong as June’s. This likely reflects both a market correction in line with prevailing economic conditions as well as the impact of reduced travel in markets.”

    “Passenger demand continues to be strong. But the story of emerging markets driving growth as developed economies stagnate could be shifting. We are still expecting growth of five per cent this year. How that growth is achieved, however, appears to be at a turning point.”

    He explained that the emergence of the Eurozone from an 18-month recession provided the biggest boost to traffic over recent months. In contrast, the deceleration of the Chinese economy has been a dampener on air travel, with weakness showing up throughout emerging Asian markets.

    The price of oil, a huge cost item for airlines, is tracking political tensions in the Middle East. Along with the global cost impact of this, at the regional level, there is the potential for disruption for one of aviation’s strongest and most consistent growth markets,” said Tyler.

    He said July international passenger traffic climbed 5.1 per cent compared to the year-ago period. Capacity rose slightly faster at 5.4 per cent causing load factor to slip 0.2 percentage points to 82.7 per cent. .

    “Performance across all regions was positive.Asia-Pacific carriers’ July traffic was up 6.3 per cent on a year ago. Capacity rose 6.6 per cent and load factor dipped 0.2 points to 79.5 per cent . The support for growth at this rate is weakening.

    The region’s largest economy—China—continued to decelerate in the second quarter. With trade volumes in emerging Asian markets shrinking by almost five per cent over the first half of the year, the softness is not isolated to China. In particular, India’s near term growth prospects are looking bleak. For the year we would expect performance to even-out around the 4.1 per cent growth achieved year-to-date.”

    He said European carriers recorded a 3.7 per cent increase in demand compared to July 2012, in line with year-to-date growth although a significant decline compared to June results.

    “ The Eurozone emerged from its 18-month recession during the second quarter, giving grounds for cautious optimism for the region’s performance in the second half tempered by significant variations by country. Capacity rose 3.6 per cent and load factor improved marginally to 85.5 per cent

    North American airlines’ international traffic rose 3.6 per cent in July versus the same month last year, while capacity climbed 2.9 per cent pushing load factor up 0.6 percentage points to 87.4 per cent , highest for any region. “

     

  • NAMA begins calibration of Navaids

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has begun calibration of navigational equipment at some airports and en route stations to enhance air safety.

    Its Managing Director Mr Nnamdi Udoh, said the agency spends about N200million yearly to calibrate navigational aids at the 26 airports.

    Calibration means the flight checking of navigational equipment to ascertain their accuracy and efficiency.

    The exercise, Udoh said, would last for 14 days, explaining that the calibration of the navaids would assist in putting the aids in proper shape at these airports and en-route stations.

    Udoh appealed to airlines to support the agency in its safety drive by clearing their outstanding debts.

    The calibration, which kicked off in Lagos with the routine calibration of the two Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), Very High Omni-directional Radio Range/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) and the Path Approach Precision Indicator (PAPI) of the airport.

    Equipment being calibrated include- the recently installed ILS/DME,CVOR/DME at Enugu airport,Makurdi and Kanji.

    The newly installed air field lighting system at Makurdi will equally be flight- checked by Flight Calibration Services of the United Kingdom using DA42 multi-purpose platform aircraft.

    Other navigational aids being calibrated are Conventional Omni-Directional Radio Frequency (CVOR), Instrument Landing System (ILS), Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) Very High Omni-Directional Radio Frequency (VOR) all located in ,Uyo Abuja, Kano and Portharcourt.

    Similarly ,Communication radio coverage check for Lagos and Kano area control centres will be undertaken during the calibration exercise.

     

  • Private jet owners now to undergo airport checks

    Private jet owners now to undergo airport checks

    There will no longer be free entry and exit for users of private and chartered jets at the airports, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) David Paradang has said.

    Such passengers, he said, would henceforth, go through immigration checks before boarding and after alighting from their jest.

    He said the measure was introduced because of the prevailing security challenge in the country.

    Last April 26, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s private, jets was stopped at the Akure Airport in Ondo State over the pilot’s alleged refusal to file a flight plan.

    Some analysts, however, said the development had political undertone because it occurred in the heat of the rift between product Goodluck Jonathan and Amaechi.

    Paradang said private jets owners and chartered operators who do no submit themselves to checks would face the consequences of their action.

    He said compliance with immigration regulations was not negotiable at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, warned his men to desist from extorting passengers.

    All passengers, he said, must comply with the regulation as part of the security requirements for travelling out of the airports. He said the NIS would will ease out any officer found to be involved in any corrupt practice, which tarnishes the image of the country.

    He bemoaned a situation where security agencies at airports engage in extortion of passengers, saying an internal mechanism was being put in place to identify such bag eggs, who do not have any business working at the airport.

    Paradang said the NIS would collaborate with other agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), to provide more facilities to ease passenger facilitation after many hours of flight, as well as deploy facilities at the airport counters to aid smooth processing of passengers through a database.

    He said: ”There is need to provide more facilities so that when more aircraft arrive at the terminal about the same time, Immigration officials could do their work without much rigours. We all know the rule, it is wrong for anybody to go and receive any passenger at the foot of the aircraft at the private terminal. Government has already given a directive to that effect. The whole idea is to ensure that no category of passenger could escape security checks at the airport.

    “We are going to stop a situation where people alight from the aircraft and get into the car. The security arrangement requires that such passengers must submit themselves to immigration checks. We are reinforcing our personnel at such private terminals to ensure total compliance with all security requirements at the airport,” he said.

    The NIS boss said the Service is pursuing a system that would ensure that the processing of passengers at the airport is done through a central database, saying that the provision of 18 additional check in counters for passenger profiling, was a welcome developmet.

    ”We have developed a system where our database would capture all information about the passenger that travels through Nigerian airports,” he said, urging FAAN to expedite action on the on-going structural work at the airport to ensure passengers have a good travel experience.