The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Restoring air link between Nigeria, Brazil

    Connecting a flight between Nigeria and South American countries is a nightmare for many passengers travelling to these places. To ease their headache, Arik Air is securing traffic rights and airport slot into São Paulo and Rio De Janeiro airports from the Brazillian authorities. KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR examines the benefits of direct air link between Nigeria and Brazil.

     

    Since 1994, when Brazilian carrier – Varig Air – stopped flying into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, passengers have been suffering on that route.

    Many passengers going to Brazil have had to explore the option of either flying to European countries, such as United Kingdom and France or Middle East countries, like the United Arab Emirates, before linking flights into Brazilian cities, such as São Paulo, Brasilia, Rio De Janeiro and Recife.

    The attendant difficulty in connecting direct flights for Nigerian passengers into Brazil has forced many to pay twice the original air fares and lose time that sometimes run into almost two days of moving from either Europe or Asia and Middle East to get to Brazil.

    Worried by the trend, the Federal Government, a few years ago, gave the green light to Arik Air to fly on the Lagos-São Paulo route. This excited many passengers on the route, especially as it was an answer to their prayers and would accelerate economic development between the two countries.

    Many passengers, who described it as one of the best things to happen to trade relations between Brazil, which is the sixth largest economy in the world and Nigeria, the most populous black country in the world.

    Speaking on the benefits of the restoration of direct flights, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Brazil, Mr Vincent Okoedin, said: ”We have been waiting for this opportunity to come for a long time. Brazil and Nigeria were linked by air until 1994, when Varig stopped flying to Lagos from Sao Paula. Since that time, there have been a closure of the airspace between the two countries and this has severely affected the movement of the people and goods between the two countries and we know how important air connection is to link these two economies and markets. The lack of air connections between the two markets has severely affected commerce, trade and investments between the two countries.

    “Many Brazilian companies have been avoiding Nigeria sorely because of this problem. This is because it takes them a minimum of two days to get to Nigeria from here and vice versa. This has been a big issue in trade connection between the two countries.”

    On how the Nigerian mission in Brasilia will assist Arik Air to secure traffic rights and slots into Brazilian airports, the ambassador said: ”I see the issue from two angles. The first is that we must engage the government of Brazil to ensure that Arik Air is given all the slots it needs to proceed, and also landing rights that it needs in São Paulo, where it is difficult to create landing rights at this time.

    Speaking on the areas of cooperation between the two countries, he said: ”As I said earlier Brazil is the sixth biggest economy in the world. Brazil has areas where it offers advantages to Nigeria. One is agriculture. Brazil exports a lot of agricultural produce from meat to poultry, to soya, to coffee. Brazil offers advantages in energy. It has the energy capacity of 121,000 mega watts. Then, Brazil is a manufacturer of many industrial products including vehicles, trucks, and cars for instance, and many household goods. All these are goods that can feature in trade with Nigeria.”

    Also, the Deputy Managing director of Arik Air, Captain Ado Sanusi, said the airline was happy the way the link between the two countries were very eager for us to restored. He said: ”We have seen the eagerness in both the civil aviation authority, the ministry, the banks and even the manufacturers have shown their eagerness in this project that Arik Air has taken up. So, I believe it was a very good journey for us.”

    On how to secure traffic rights for the airline, Sanusi said: ”In my experience of getting Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) and slots into a country, this is the first time I am talking to the civil aviation department and the regulatory agency and they are showing willingness to help the airline get slots. They are eager to say we know that in the BASA agreement you have four frequencies, but we do understand that there are physical restrictions into Sao PauloAirport, but we are willing to work with you to make sure you get the best slots to start operations.”

  • Akwa Ibom woos Canadian firm to create airline

    Akwa Ibom woos Canadian firm to create airline

    THE Alkwa Ibom State Government is shopping for technical partners to complete and manage its maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility for aircraft repairs at the Ibom International Airport, Uyo.

    Governor Godswill Akpabio was in Canada recently to seek the financial and technical assistance of aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier Aerospace Corporation in completing the hangar.

    The government is also the seeking assistance from Lufthansa Technik for the hangar’s management.

    It is also seeking the assistance of Bombardier to set up Ibom Airlines, which may use Bombardier regional jets to connect Uyo, the state capital, with other parts of the country and the world.

    Akpabio said cooperation from technical and financial partners would enable the state to complete the hangar centre before the end of the year, describing lack of a major maintenance facility as a problem for aviation development in the country.

    He said: “The MRO is a huge facility that can take two wide body aircraft, Boeing 747s or four Boeing 737s with all the dormitories, the spacing and the equipment and all the configurations that will make for effective aircraft maintenance. It is going to be the biggest MRO facility in West and Central Africa. We don’t have proper MRO facility in these regions.

    “The Federal Government had at some point shown interest in the maintenance hangar and wanted to make it a national hangar, and it was also part of the Obakpolor recommendation, which came shortly after the Dana Air crash.

    “Some people have come to look at it, like Lufthansa Technik and some groups are beginning to talk to the state government, but of course, this opportunity was also thrown open to Bombardier because Bombardier has over 40 aircraft in the country right now, so the facility is a major hangar for aircraft maintenance. So we need collaboration. This is a big facility waiting for Nigerians to take advantage of.”

    The Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah said the government planned to establish an airline is to position the state as a major economic hub within the Gulf of Guinea.

    “In considering this, it was reasoned that aviation will be a major propeller in this direction. Sequel to this, the Governor led a delegation to Bombardier Aerospace factory in Toronto where they manufacture aircraft, especially the Bombardier jets and turbo props. So the state is seeking the partnership of Bombardier to establish the planned Ibom Airlines, and also if the terms of agreement are reached, Bombardier may manage the MRO facility.”

    He said the Ibom Airlines would service the region, while Uyo would serve as a regional hub to the Gulf of Guinea, because Uyo is a short distance to Equatorial Guinea, to Congo, to Sao Tome and Principe and Angola.

    Umanah said the arrangement would also enable the oil and gas operations to grow and ease the transportation problems of Akwa Ibom, especially on the Abuja and Lagos routes. “The governor has made his proposal known to the President of Bombardier, who is eager to go into details to see how this could possibly be a partnership. As you are aware, Akwa Ibom has an international airport.

    The state government, he said was, partnering with Bombardier because the aircraft manufacturing company produces regional jets that are suitable for the routes in the Gulf Guinea.

    “That is why partnership with Bombardier which makes regional jets is imperative. The Governor spoke about the need for the aircraft manufacturing company to operate in the region because regional jets will serve the region better,” he added.

    Umanah said funding was part of the reasons the government is seeking partnership, adding that the government would be an enabler in this process and would seek partnership.

     

  • ‘Ignore IMF call to scrap AMCON’

    The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) has asked the Federal Government to ignore calls by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to scrap the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    The body disagreed with IMF’s position that AMCON encourages the accumulation of bad debts, noting that the reason is not cogent enough to call for its scrapping by government.

    According to NAAPE National President, Balami Isaac, the reason given is not only flimsy, but unacceptable, because AMCON has been performing in line with the dictates of its enabling law.

    He said: “AMCON is a special purpose intervention instrument which has been very diligent and most discerning in its assignment, so much so that its activities have been flawless up to date, unlike what we are used to in this part of the world. Secondly, AMCON as we know it, is not a debt forgiveness instrument, but a means of debt re-working. Therefore it would appear that the IMF is crying wolf where there is none.”

    The call by IMF, he maintained, failed to recognise the huge success that AMCON has recorded and the tremendous, almost magical, positive impact it has had on the Nigerian economy.

    “We cannot forget in a hurry how AMCON’s intervention enabled Mainstreet Bank, Keystone Bank and Enterprise Bank to successfully undergo an otherwise painful liquidation exercise, yet have remained in business, even without significant loss of jobs – a novel seamless transition” he said.

    He noted that NAAPE was aware that AMCON has successfully navigated over 200 interventions of debt buy-over across all sectors of the economy.

    Balami pointed out that in the aviation sector, AMCON has spread its operations across 12 airlines with over N132 billion financial involvement, adding that some of these transactions are on-going.

  • Policy inimical to aviation’s interest, say airline owners

    Policy inimical to aviation’s interest, say airline owners

    Why was the aviation policy reviewed last week by the Federal Government? It is because it has become outdated or does it have political undertone?

    These were some of the posers raised by the public amid reactions to the government’s action.

    The respondents are: Aviation Roundtable (ART) President, Captain Dele Ore, and Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Seceretary- General, Captain Mohammed Joji.

    Ore described the policy as a setback and unnecessary

    He said the Minster of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah should focus on the challenges of the industry, instead of revising the old 2006 aviation policy that has been adjudged by many international bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), as a valid document.

    Ore said the minister should not pursue shadows, as the implementation of the policy may take the industry over two decades back, because the issues raised in it have been adequately addressed in the 2006 civil aviation policy.

    He said: “The new policy for some of us is uncalled for. It is the least of the problems the aviation industry is going through. There are myriad of challenges confronting the industry, not a review of the civil aviation policy. There is nothing wrong with the old policy to warrant this urgent review. It will rock the foundation of aviation in Nigeria. What they have done is taking us back to the 1995 era. It will eventually become a setback for the industry. I am convinced that when the implementation fails, the government will have no choice but to call on experts to address the mess the new arrangement will create.”

    Joji said the new policy would move the industry back in the global aviation community.

    What the policy has done, he said, is to hijack the responsibility of economic regulation of airlines from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and give it to the body to be established by the Ministry of Aviation.

    “The Aviation Roundtable will continue to watch developments to see how the implementation will work. I am confident it is going to cause confusion. When we have consistently said nothing is wrong with the old 2006 civil aviation policy,” he added.

    Joji said: “It is better to move the industry forward than to seek its regression. It is my humble opinion that nothing is wrong with the 2006 civil aviation policy.“

    Another industry player, who asked not to be named, described the new policy as another attempt to reduce the powers of the NCAA, as the sole regulator of civil aviation.

    He described it as a great disservice to the growth of civil aviation.

    The policy, which takes effect this week, will address gaps in operations by private jet and charter operators, Princess Oduah, said.

    Under the revised 2013 Civil Aviation Policy, she said a directorate has been created to take care of specialised operations, including private and charter jets, which she categorised as general aviation.

    The revised regulation is a follow up to the 2009 edition, which came from the 2006 Civil Aviation Act, which granted autonomy to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). She alleged that operators were exploiting the weaknesses in the previous policy to shortchange the system.

    The policy is expected to be reviewed in 2018.

  • Unions list conditions for new national carrier

    The Conference for Aviation Unions and Professional Association (CAUPA) has given the Federal Government conditions for floating a national carrier.

    It said the airline should not be floated until labour and pensions issues arising from the liquidation of Nigeria Airways are settled.

    In a statement by the group’s convener, Sheri Kyari and the Secretary, Austyn Njoku, the union said it was worried by the pending labour and related matters affecting the workers of the defunct airline.

    The workers, he said, were wallowing in poverty, adding that some of the workers died out of frustration without collecting their severance benefits

    The body said it was not opposed to the establishment of a national carrier, because it would create jobs and reduce capital flight in the aviation industry.

    “This will lead to the re-establishment of standard operating procedures and safety consciousness in the aviation industry. This would also lead to the much-talked about job creation for our teeming youths and redundant professionals in the industry. The drainage the sector has become on the economy would eventually be fixed, and the pride of Nigerians all over the world would also be restored,” the group said.

    While lauding the idea of new carrier, CAUPA cautioned against the idea of buying and distributing aircraft to ailing airlines.

    “This should be completely disregarded in the interest of safety, unity, integrity, good governance, prudence and transparency,” it stated.

  • Stakeholders fret over plans to amend Aviation Act

    Stakeholders fret over plans to amend Aviation Act

    Stakeholders have called on the National Assembly to exercise caution in its planned amendment of some sections of the 2006 Civil Aviation Act, granting autonomy in regulation to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    According to industry players, a revision of the act may affect NCAA’s autonomy. They raised concerns over plans to tinker with some sections of the act, which may reduce NCAA’s powers, thereby bringing about laxity in the oversight duties of the authority.

    The Ministry of Aviation has denied plans to remove NCAA’s autonomy, affirming that the authority has been given free hands in line with the provisions of the 2006 Act to carry out its oversight duties.

    Media assistant to the Minister of Aviation, Mr Joe Obi said: “There is no truth in information making the round that there are attempts by the Ministry of Aviation to strip the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of its autonomy and removing the responsibility of issuing Air Operator Certificates from the Regulatory agency.

    “The ministry places very high premium on the autonomy of the NCAA as the regulator of the sector and will not do anything wittingly or unwittingly to whittle down its powers. In fact, the new Aviation Policy that is currently being fashioned out is intended to strengthen the NCAA to place it in good stead to perform its regulatory functions as well as safeguard its autonomy.”

    In a position paper , the Airline Operators of Nigeria( AON), the umbrella body of domestic carriers speaking through its Secretary-General, Captain Mohammed Joji, said nothing was wrong with the Civil Aviation Act, adding that tinkering with some of its provisions may have ripple effects in the industry.

    Joji said: ”The proposed Civil Aviation Act, as it were, is a new document. It is still extant, serves as the basis of various Civil Aviation Regulations, which underpins aviation business in the country.

    “While time and developments have thrown up new issues demanding attention, particularly in economic regulation and consumer protection, the Act is modern and in no way defective.

    “Only a few years ago (2007 – 2008), the Act was evaluated by both ICAO, FAA and other such world bodies and was confirmed to be in tandem with global standards and best practices. Therefore, what is required is only Amendments rather than a new Act.”

    Besides, he said the existing non-defective one is even more confusing as it is not as encompassing as the extant Act.

    He said the question to ask is: “What is wrong with the Act that the Proposed Act is seeking to replace?”

    He said: “The Proposed Act is by standard; content, depth, and coverage, inferior to the existing Act. Rather than strengthen the regulatory body, it further tends to weaken it by not only removing some of its functions, but also eroding its autonomy by surreptitiously narrowing the insular corridor between it and the ministry.

    “This will move us many steps back in the global aviation community.”

    The AON scribe alleged that the proposed act seeks to hijack the responsibility of economic regulation of airlines from the NCAA and hand it over to the Ministry of Aviation.

    He said: ”Unless the Ministry intends to create another agency to handle economic regulations and related issues, which will run contrary to the Act, the present Act should be amended to the ill-advised Proposed Act of 2013.

    “It is better to move our country forward rather than to regress. Power of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to regulate the industry must be upheld in order to move the industry forward.”

    The law, which is an Act of parliament gives power to NCAA to regulate the industry. In so doing, the regulatory authority published two fundamental guiding documents, which can be amended periodically by the operators and other stake holders and the NCAA vide seminar, under what is called Proposed Notice of Amendment (PNA). The initial publication is called Proposed Notice of Rules making (PNR).

    He said: “It is also our humble opinion that there is nothing wrong with the 2006 Act, since most of the recent feats achieved by the Aviation industry were as a result of the adequate provisions contained in the Act. We however, do not object to an amendment of the existing Act to take care of identified flows, provided all stake holders shall be consulted for input during the amendment exercise.”

  • Experts: African airlines may die by 2050

    Experts in the aviation industry have raised the alarm over the possibility of carriers facing extinction by 2050 because of their inability to merge.

    They predicted that by 2050, only 12 airlines would remain in operations in the globe.

    The experts spoke at the Nigeria Aviation Summit in Lagos last weekend.

    They affirmed that though merger and consolidation have gained ground in the global aviation industry, airlines in the continent are still foot-dragging on the arrangement, which commenced in United States of America, in 1930.

    The convener of the event, Mr Gabriel Olowo, in his speech entitled, A dozen world airliners by 2050, emphasised that Nigerian and African airlines face trouble if they do not embrace mergers and consolidation.

    He explained that the revenues of the three biggest airlines in the continent, Kenyan Airways, Ethiopian and South African Airways, put at over $3billion are about 35 per cent of the yearly revenue of Emirates Airlines.

    He added that efforts to ensure merger and consolidation among the continent’s carrier had failed in the past, adding that mergers or consolidation could not be achieved by government coercion.

    He lamented the precarious situation of the airlines, saying that there are only 57 aircraft in the fleet of the carriers while an airline, such as South African Airways has over 67 aircraft.

    He said: “Nigerian airlines are at the bottom level of success. The six airlines that we have in operations are in the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of revenue, service delivery and good business model.

    “Business climate is shifting from the West to Africa, when that shift comes, the continent’s carrier may be caught napping.”

    Dr. Tony Kila, one of the speakers at the event, noted that for the continent’s carriers to remain in operations by 2050, they need to engage in training of their manpower.

    The former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travelling Agencies, NANTA, Mr Soji Amusan, emphasised that customer satisfaction, quality services, productivity, profit and cost control would not happen by themselves, but the stakeholders in the industry would have to make them happen.

     

    He said, “The level of team work among people determines the success or otherwise of the company. There are about 35 training schools in Lagos alone and out of these numbers, only six are certified by IATA despite the claim of the schools that they were approved by the government.”

    The Managing Director, Overland Company, Capt. Edward Boyo also observed that Nigerian airlines would remain behind in global aviation industry unless they cooperate in the form of merger and acquisition, which he said was the norm globally.

    “Mergers enable growth, increase the market shares, increase values for customers, increases credit worthiness for the airline and enhances market perception of the airlines. However, merge can not be done by government coercion. It has to be marriage of willing parties and there should be trust.”

     

  • ‘Airport remodelling good’

    Former Minister of Information and Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group(NESG), Frank Nweke, has described the ongoing investment by the government on airport infrastructure as commendable. He said it as one of the steps to raise the bar in service delivery in the transport industry.

    Nweke expressed optimism that the government would continue to do more in terms of infrastructure upgrade, especially at the nation’s airport.

    Nweke, who led a team of the World Economic Summit Forum to inspect facilities at the remodelled airports in Lagos, said the team had been inspecting facilities so that they could consider either Lagos or Abuja, as proposed cities for the forthcoming conference by the forum.

    He explained that Nigeria and South Africa are being considered as host countries for the Forum in 2014.

    Nweke said with what is happening at the airports, value has already been added, saying that more investment in the sector is needed.

    He said: “Government is investing in infrastructure. This is commendable and we need to do more of it. Value is already added with the remodelling and its not over yet, it is the begining. It evolves and in a year or two we expect more investment.”

    Also speaking, Director General of the National Tourism Development Commission(NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe said the remodelled airports will show the pride of Nigeria as well as boost the tourism potential as the airports are the first port of call.

    Runsewe said,”Our airports are becoming international standard and in no long time become a show of pride for us as a people.”

    ” You see the airport is the first port of call and the minute you enter it tells you a lot about the people, it is at par with airports across the world.”

    ” The remodelling has made our airports one of the best in Africa. I am soneone watching with keen interest on the transformation because it is a better way for me to sell this country”, the NTDC boss said.

     

  • NCAA certifies private security outfits

    NCAA certifies private security outfits

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA) has certified seven private security companies to provide security services at the nation’s airports.

    The companies are – Aviation Logistics and Management Limited, Olasco Company Nigeria Limited, Pathfinders International Security Limited, Planet Resources Limited. Others are Migga Dinns Limited, Checkport Security Nigeria Limited and Phillippe Associates International Limited.

    In a brief ceremony in Lagos, the Acting Director-General Mr Joyce Daniel Nkemakolam, presented certificates to the chief executives of the companies.

    Speaking before the ceremony, Nkemakolam told the security operatives that safety and security are critical to air transport operation all over the world.

    He said: “This is the time you need to deploy your expertise as you are all aware of the global security threat of which Nigeria is not an exemption.”

    Nkemakolam commended the security organisations for pulling through the rigorous process of certification, which was carried out by NCAA Aviation Security Inspectors.

    He told the companies that it is mandatory under the Nigerian Legislation and the terms of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) section 10.9.1 for private security companies working with airlines to be registered and granted approval by NCAA.

    He said: “It requires each security company to obtain security clearance from the state security service through the Federal Ministry of Aviation. Thereafter they will submit a copy of their security programme to NCAA for assessment.

     

    This assessment is to further ensure the companies meet with the requirements of the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP), which reflects the policy of Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations Part 17.”

    Nkemakolam expressed excitement that the seven private security companies complied with the requirements

    He said the NCAA found their security programmes to be appropriate after its assessment.

    He said :” The certification is the beginning of hard work for all of you. You must ensure compliance with the condition attached to this approval, failure of which will lead to revocation or suspension of the certificate.”

     

  • Dana Air gets mobile device

    Dana Air gets mobile device

    PassengerS on Dana Air will now enjoy quicker and more convenient check-in services with the launch of the ‘Roving Agent’, a mobile device, which allows guests to be checked-in on arrival at the airport by mobile airline staff.

    Strapped with tablet PCs and mini-printers, the airline’s mobile check-in agents, according to a statement, can issue boarding passes to guests even before they reach the check-in counter. This new initiative complements the airline’s existing check-in counters and online check-in service.

    “What we are offering in roving agents is immense value addition for our guests,” said Obi Mbanuzuo, Dana Air’s Head of Commercial. “With this solution, our mobile check-in agents can quickly access and verify the travel reservation details of guests; book them on their choice of seat and generate boarding passes.

    “Now guests with hand baggage need not wait at the check-in counter to collect their boarding pass; they can simply approach any of our easily recognisable mobile check-in agents on arrival at the airport and proceed through airport security to the boarding gate,” Mbanuzuo explained.

    Airlines, the world over, have constantly been innovating processes to speed up check-in for guests. The ‘Check in as you walk in’, facilitated by the roving agent, is the latest concept for a speedy check-in for the jet-setting passenger.

    With the launch, Dana Air becomes the first airline in Nigeria to deploy this solution.

    Dana Air currently operates 10 daily flights on the Lagos-Abuja-Lagos route and has just re-launched daily flight services to Port Harcourt city, from Lagos and Abuja. The airline is reputed for its efficient customer services, world-class in-flight services, on-time departures and arrivals, innovative e-airline products and high quality standards.