The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • FAAN set to boost revenue

    FAAN set to boost revenue

    Kaduna Airport ready in April

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is developing other income means to boost its non-aeronautical sources of revenue for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

    Its Regional Manager, Southwest, Mr Edward Olarerin, said this what airports worldwide do.

    He said the era when an airport authority depended on aeronautical sources of revenue was over. Major airports in Europe, America and Asia, he said, were looking at how to improve revenue beyond the collection of landing and parking fees, ground rent and other charges.

    He said a new directorate of cargo has been created in FAAN to work modalities to improve its revenue drive outside the traditional sources, which are described as aeronautical.

    He said: “In most countries, their revenue is from non-aeronautical, but our case is quite the opposite here. That is how we have developed, but now the ministry and  FAAN administration are going to generate a lot from retails.

    “We are developing our retails and advertising areas. Now we have very competent general managers in retail  and they  have the mandate to develop that area to challenge the aeronautical sources of revenue. Apart from that, the directorate of cargo has been established to improve earnings from cargo.”

    He spoke of plans to enhance the operational capacity of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. He said: “ The airport used to handle over1,500 passengers daily, but with the facility created, the airport can handle 6,000 passengers, that is about 10 wide bodied aircraft if not more.”

    Beside, the Kaduna Airport remodelling will be completed in April, General Manager, Corporate Communication, FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, has assured.

    In a statement, he said the contractor handling the project has completed 80 per cent of the job.

    Dati said the project is part of strategies in the Aviation Master Plan, which includes upgrade and development of dilapidated infrastructures, reformation of institutions, and the transformation of key airports into a network of domestic and international hubs.

    The airport will form a major hub with the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. It will help to boost the economy of the state and increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

     

  • Fed Govt plans better facilities for private, chartered jets

    Fed Govt plans better facilities for private, chartered jets

    THE Federal Government will provide more facilities at the nation’s airports for the use of private and charter jets, aviation Minister Princess Stella Oduah has said.

    She spoke in after inaugurating the General Aviation Terminal for private operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

    She said the need to upgrade such special facilities for charter and private jets stemmed from the rise in charter operators, which had risen to 50 and is projected to increase before the end of the year.

    A new template, she said, was being packaged by theMinistry of Aviation and other aeronautical authorities to improve operations.

    This, she said, would involve the terms of operations of such operators, which would smoothen the grey areas.

    The minister explained that as operational facilities are upgraded at airports, it is expected that more private operators would take advantage of this to facilitate the movement of persons and their businesses.

    Oduah said no limit had been set for the private jets operating in the country, as the new rule to be rolled out would bring about an increase in that arm of the air transportation.

    She said at no time did the government roll out any regulation set a limit on the number of private jets.

    Oduah spoke of the government’s plans to continue to upgrade airport infrastructure to accommodate more players either in the scheduled or charter category.

    She said: “The truth is that we had to have a General Aviation Terminal which supports aviation business. That wasn’t in existence yet the business is growing. Government would like the business to grow far more than what we now have and the only way we can achieve that growth is to provide infrastructure, the policy and the procedure to drive such a business.

    “That is what we have done. We have also finished the general aviation policy.Hopefully by next week, we will have a meeting with private jet operators. There, they would know the policy that guides what they are supposed to do, how they are supposed to do it.

    “We do have a lot of grey areas in our general aviation policy but we will remove all the grey areas in the policy and make them operational.

    ‘’Currently, we have about 50 private jets. We are estimating that by next year, we are tripling that number.But if we will do that, then we need a larger General Aviation Terminal larger than this. We are looking at cost in the margin of about five hundred million naira.”

    She also spoke of plans to intervene in the challenges of aviation fuel, affirming that soon the product would be available at airports at competitive prices.

    Oduah said: “We would work in conjunction with the NNPC as part of the way forward. We have selected approved vendors who would guarantee us and allow us to benchmark the purchases. You have to buy fuel in advance; that means there must be a certain a buying process. This takes time because the people you are buying from have to agree. More infrastructure have to be put in place too. If you don’t put all these in place, it wouldn’t work. For instance, if you are in Yola, there should be a depot there to have guaranteed stock to replenish on time. This gives you price control.

    “Nigerians should look forward to more competitive pricing system that would ensure they pay what they are supposed to pay. Nothing more, nothing less.“

     

  • GE delivers two B 737-400s to Aero

    GE delivers two B 737-400s to Aero

    GE Capital Aviation Services Limited (GECAS), the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric, has delivered two leased Boeing 737-400s to new customer Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited.

    Based in Lagos, the company trades as Aero Nigeria and operates a fleet of 20 helicopters and 15 fixed-wing aircraft-ranging from 50-seat turboprops to Boeing 737-400s.

    The airline provides scheduled and charter service to destinations in Nigeria and West Africa.

    Meanwhile, Aero Airlines last week connected Sokoto to its route network.

    The Acting Managing Director of Aero, Obaro Ibru, said: “We are excited to launch a new service to Sokoto which gives our customers more options and also widens our domestic network. Sokoto is an important historical city, and Aero is committed to its growth and development.

    “Flying can never be easier than we have made it for our customers. We have launched leading customer focused products into the Nigerian market and we are proud to be a market leader in this sector. We are determined to continue to offer excellent customer service and maintain reliable and high safety standards.

    Sokoto’s economic and cultural wealth makes it an investment haven for both locals and foreigners and Aero is making it easier for people to connect to such business opportunities.Aero flies to major domestic destinations including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, Calabar, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Warri, Uyo, Benin and with plans to open more routes.

  • Arik introduces ‘book-on-hold’

    Arik introduces ‘book-on-hold’

    Arik Air has introduced a new payment option that allows customers to book a ticket online at the airline’s website www.arikair.com and pay later using a number of different payment platforms.

    The new Book-on-Hold service is part of a raft of changes, which are being rolled out to enhance Arik’s online offering and customer experience.

    The special booking has been developed for customers buying tickets in the Nigerian market for flights originating in Nigeria. It allows flight tickets to be booked on the website and held in the system, whilst giving travellers the convenience and flexibility of paying for the ticket later.

    Once a ticket is booked online using the Book-on-Hold option, a special Ticketing Time Limit will be advised, allowing the customer time to choose a preferred payment option. Payment can then be made via Internet Banking website, or by visiting any Nigerian Bank Branch; by making payment on Quick Teller enabled ATMs, or via www.quickteller.com; at any Arik air ticketing office. Once payment is received an electronic ticket will be issued.

    Arik Air’s Managing Director/Executive Vice President, Mr Chris Ndulue said of the new process: ”We believe this Book-on-Hold option offers greater flexibility and control, especially for guests on the move. This is part of Arik Air’s strategy of providing more convenient services to our esteemed guests.’’

     

  • Pilot to airlines: initiate safety programmes

    Pilot, Captain Sina Akinfenwa, has called for the establishment of a safety programme by airlines’ management.

    Such a safety programme, according to him, should be all-inclusive with a reporting system that is non-punitive .

    He spoke at a safety summit organised by the Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN) in Ikeja, Lagos.

    He observed that the attitude of managers of airlines to safety is key to organisation, adding that it could also be a pointer to how personnel will react to safety issues and the attendant effects on their operations.

    Akinfenwa called for a comprehensive corporate approach to safety, which will be incorporated into the operations manual of airlines.

    He affirmed that standard operating procedures compatibility with safety measures is a very crucial indicator in improving the safety system in the airline sector.

    Akinfenwa noted that management of safety in an airline lies in the hands of the chief executive, adding that for threat to safety to be promptly reported, the management must create non-punitive measures of reporting incidents and accidents.

    The convener and AFARN President, Mr Kingsley Nwokoma, said the event was in line with the objectives of the group. He said the sector is on the path to recovery if safety is on the front burner.

    He lauded the ongoing remodelling exercise across the nation’s airports but called for cargo apron expansion and Aerotropolis concept, which he said will add value to aviation business.

    Headvocated stakeholders’inclusion in driving the process of safety in the sector.

    He called on the participants to take safety as everybody’s business .

    Speaking on aviation safety; Airworthiness perspective, director of airworthiness standards, Mr Emmanuel Usifo, said the sector is guided by rules and regulations as contained in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations domesticated in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulation (NCAR).Consequently, he said the industry does not operate airworthiness in isolation.

    He said: “We cannot talk about air worthiness of an airplane without looking at International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) critical elements.”

    He listed factors that could impact positively on the airworthiness of an aircraft to include appropriate maintenance schedule and standards, ramp inspections, aircraft maintenance record by approved personnel and facility as well as adherence to manufacturers’ specifications and guidelines .

    In his presentation entitled: Quality dispensation of fuel Using safety management system, Mr Allistair Morrison, impored organisations to ensure safety and eliminate factors that could impact safety of air operation.

    He explained that with total quality assurance as the goal, any serious organisations would adhere to the best global industry standards as established by ICAO, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and others.

    He called for adherence to industry process and procedures, stressing that proper maintenance of operational equipment is key to safe operations and compliance with industry standards.

     

  • Chanchangi goes digital

    Chanchangi Airlines is set to introduce electronic ticketing to enable passengers to book, pay and check in for their flights without coming to the counters at airports.

    This is part of the rebranding measures put in place by the airline, which has secured funds from Unity Bank to acquire more aircraft under the aviation intervention fund packaged by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).

    The funds will assist Chanchangi Airlines to acquire at least four aircraft in the next few months. The airline, however, did not disclose the amount accessed.

    Its Group General Manager Mr John Disley, who stated this in an interview in Lagos, said it has become imperative to introduce electronic ticketing to meet the demands of passengers, who continue to seek improvement in services.

    He said in the next three weeks, work would be completed on the portal of the airline, which will offer passengers a robust window to book and pay for their flights from the comfort of their homes and offices, instead of wasting man hours rushing to the airport.

    Disley said as the “peoples’ carrier”,: Chanchangi will soon acquire additional aircraft to boost its operations, affirming that its officials will continue to promote safety and security as the selling point of its flight in over a decade that it had operated flights in the Nigerian airspace.

    Disley said since the airline resumed operations after a recess to fix its aircraft in Belgrade, passenger traffic has remained steady on its traditional Lagos/Abuja and Lagos/Kaduna routes.

    He said that some of its crew members are currently undergoing simulator training in the United Kingdom, ahead of the arrival of its second aircraft to consolidate its operations.

    He lauded efforts by the government to assist domestic airlines acquire aircraft.

  • Aero connects Sokoto

    Aero Airlines has started daily flights between Lagos and Sokoto via Abuja for transit passenger drop-off and pick-up.

    The flight to Sokoto, according to a statement, will originate from Lagos to Abuja and connect Sokoto.

    The Acting Managing Director of Aero, Obaro Ibru, said: “We are excited to launch a new service to Sokoto, which gives our customers more options and also widens our domestic network. Sokoto is an important historical city, and Aero is committed to its growth and development.

    “Flying can never be easier than we have made it for our customers. We have launched leading customer focused products into the Nigerian market and we are proud to be a market leader in this sector. We are determined to continue to offer excellent customer service and maintain reliable and high safety standards.”

     

  • Emirates upgrades services

    Emirates Airlines will add more than 1,400 seats a week on its Dar es Salaam-Dubai route by introducing a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from February 1.

    The Airbus 340-500 deployed on one of Dar es Salaam’ daily flight, according to a statement, will be replaced with a larger Boeing 777-300ER, giving 40 per cent boost to seat capacity.

    “Dar es Salaam is one of East Africa’s most popular destinations and the introduction of the new Boeing 777 is a direct response to increasing passenger demand on this route,” said Jean Luc Grillet, Emirates Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa. “Emirates carried 148,000 passengers on flights to and from Dar es Salaam in 2012. With the new Boeing 777 service we expect this to noticeably grow as our customers continue to explore the opportunities Emirates’ global network has to offer.”

    The new aircraft, according the statement, has 360 seats in a three-class configuration offering eight luxurious First Class suits, 42 seats in Business Class and generous space for 310 passengers in Economy Class.

    In addition to carrying more passengers, the operation of the new aircraft will also have a positive impact on Tanzania’s import and export industry.

  • US replaces airport scanners

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has said it is removing controversial full-body scanners at United States’ airports and replacing them with new scanners that allow greater privacy.

    The TSA cancelled a contract with Rapiscan last week because the company had failed to deliver software to protect the privacy of passengers.

    The TSA had faced widespread complaints from travellers that the Rapiscan equipment, using an X-ray technology called backscatter, had shown what looks like a naked image of passengers’ bodies to security officers.

    A TSA spokesman, David Castelveter, said they would be largely replaced by a scanner made by L-3 Communications that uses so-called millimetre technology. The radio wave device creates a generic outline that highlights the body area where an anomaly is detected.agencies, he said.

     

  • FAAN to certify Lagos, Abuja airports

    FAAN to certify Lagos, Abuja airports

    IN line with international best practices,the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) may certify the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja before the end of March after their fulfilment of certain requirements.

    The Director of Airport Operations, Captain Henry Omeogwo, said FAAN had started closing all the open items identified in the last airports audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in 2006.

    Omeogwu said FAAN was collaborating with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure that the timeline set for the certification airports’ was accomplished.

    He said the government would ensure that all lapses observed in infrastructure were fixed in record time.

    Nigeria, he said, could not afford to have its 22 airports uncertified, as failure to do that could be a disincentive to foreigners who consider Nigeria a good destination to grow their businesses.

    Some of the requirements for airports certification include improved state of airport and air navigation infrastructure; adequate fire cover; standard runway length, width and markings; proper lighting and a comprehensive airport emergency plan, according to ICAO.

    Others are implementation and maintenance of a safety management system, standard operating procedures, which manifest through aerodrome operations manual, aerodrome emergency plan and aerodrome security programmes.

    Omeogwo said the airports’ certification would position the aviation sector as a key driver of socio- economic development.

    He said: “ We need the aviation sector as a key driver of the transformation agenda of the government. It is for this reason that government is carrying out massive infrastructure upgrade at airports across the country, such that the safety of the airports will be used as a fundamental strategy to achieve transformation. When our airports are certified, investors will come in to develop all sectors of the economy.

    “With certification, our airports will become safer, more efficiently run and profitable.”

    In a related development, the Director of Legal Services, FAAN, Mr Mark Jacob, has said the airport authority did not cede land to a concessionaire AIC Hilton Limited to build a hotel near the diplomatic car park of the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Speaking in an interview, with reporters in Lagos, Jacob said FAAN as a responsible organisation would not allow individual interest of businessmen to over ride public interest as far as safety and security around the airports were concerned.

    He said the ‘ illegal action’ of the concessionaire to commence building at the disputed parcel of land is laughable, because the closeness of the land to the runway and tarmac of the airport could compromise the security of the airport and aircraft flying into Nigeria.