The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Emirates offers ‘special‘ 2013 fares

    Emirates Airlines is welcoming 2013 aboard by offering attractive fares for quick-acting customers. Whether your New Year’s resolution is to spend more time with family and friends or visit a dream destination Emirates’ Economy class deals, currently available for early bookers, offer something for everyone.

    The special fares apply to more than 120 destinations across the Emirates’ network when booked between December 26, 2012 and January 2013.

    “With our excellent on board product and a long list of exciting destinations – from Buenos Aires and San Francisco in the west to Tokyo and Auckland in the east – there are already many reasons to experience Emirates,” said Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President – Passenger Sales Worldwide. “Now, we are injecting even more value into Economy Class fares, while giving a warm welcome to 2013. We urge customers to move quickly to secure seats at the best price,” added Mr Antinori.

    The raft of savings means that passengers can fly, for example from Nigeria to other Middle East destinations for as little as US$989, to Dubai from US$956. Prices to India and South East Asia starts from US$840, fares to South East Asia begin from $1,103, China and Japan starts from $998 while Australia and New Zealand can now be reached from $2,415. All the prices quoted are inclusive of taxes and fuel surcharges.

    Emirates’ world has grown rapidly in 2012, with the launch of 15 new destinations, bringing new countries, cultures and experiences for customers to explore.

  • Accident Bureau to build lab for black boxes in Abuja

    The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is to build its accident investigation laboratory in Abuja, where flight data and cockpit voice recorders of crashed aircraft will be decoded, its Commissioner, Captain Mukhtar Usman has said.

    Usman told reporters in Lagos, that the project would cost $5.5million.

    “The bureau is very close to launching its own Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) laboratory from CAE/Flight Scape Incorporation of Canada, which will enable us to download both flight recorders promptly during investigation.

    “Hitherto and now, these units are taken overseas for downloading,” he said.

    The system also can also be used for real time flight data monitoring, Usman added.

    He said the laboratory would be located in Abuja in line with international practices where similar accident investigation laboratories of other developed countries are located in their capital

    The equipment has arrived in Nigeria and work would soon start at the site, he explained.

    Usman added that on completion, the laboratory would handle cases of air, marine, road and rail crashes.

    “We have highly qualified accident investigators who were trained in the world class institutions to man the laboratory on inauguration, he said.

    Usman also said the bureau has started training its personnel in investigating marine, road and rail related accidents when ever they occurred.

    So AIB’s planned collaboration with the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in this respect is still ongoing, he said.

    He added that 20 out of the bureau’s 32 recommendations had so far been implemented by the Federal Government through Ministry of Aviation.

    This included the establishment of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) project, airlines installing ground tracking devices in their offices to monitor their aircraft while flying, he said.

    He recalled that no passengers could be rescued in the ADC, Bellview aircraft and Beechraft 1900 D aircraft crashes when they occurred because there were no radar systems to track them.

    The AIB boss listed the safety recommendation to the government to include the completion of the total radar coverage of the airspace, the provision of pilots and crew briefing rooms at the airport, as well as the provision of inboard and on the ground detection equipment to boost safety.

    He affirmed that safety has improved in the airspace contrary to speculation in some sections, saying that if the airspace were unsafe, mega carriers from all over the world will not be flying into the country.

    Captain Usman also confirmed that the committee set up by the Federal Government requested the assistance of the agency to unravel the cause of the Nigerian Navy Agusta helicopter crash in Okoroba, Bayelsa State.

    Usman explained that though, the agency is saddled with investigating civil aviation aircraft accidents, it could not, but offer assistance on request to find out the cause of the military helicopter crash.

    He explained that there exists collaboration between the military and civil aviation authorities, hence the desire of the AIB , to assist in finding the probable cause of the accident.

    Usman further said: ” The AIB cannot investigate military accidents in line with the rules setting up the agency, but this time around a request was made by the body named by government for the AIB to assist. That is precisely, what we are doing.

    “Further to this, we have trained all our personnel to handle the investigation of all modes of transportation.”

    He also spoke of collaboration with the Ghanaian authorities to assist in the investigation of the Allied Air cargo aircraft that crashed in Accra, near the Kotoka International Airport, on June 2, 2012.

    He added: ” Nigeria was invited to participate in the investigation of the accident of the cargo plane belonging to Allied Air.”

  • Review BASA to favour local airlines, govt told

    A pressure group, the Aviation Roundtable (ART), has called on the Federal Government to review the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) routes flown by foreign carriers.

    The call followed Nigerian carriers’ seeming inability to operate on their reciprocal intercontinental routes.

    According to the group, Nigerian carriers could make more money on intercontinental routes, by stepping up their operations to earn more revenue for the government, as opposed to the paltry sum paid by the foreign carriers as royalties.

    Since the death of the national carrier, Nigeria Airways in 2003, foreign carriers have dominated routes hitherto flown by the airline, under the reciprocity clause guiding the BASA.

    On the Lagos-London route, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways run flights between Lagos and Abuja to London, to the detriment of Nigerian lone carrier, Arik Air, which operates on the route.

    The defunct Bellview and the rested Air Nigeria, hitherto operated on the routewithout the required capacity.

    ART said the government can earn more revenue by encouraging more airlines to increase capacity on intercontinental routes.

    Unless this is done, the government will continue to lose more revenue, as it has experienced in the last 20 years.

    In an interview, ART President and Secretary, Captain Dele Ore and Mr Sam Akerele, said until the government reviews the conditions attached to the BASA to the advantage of indigenous airlines, the foriegn carriers would continue to dominate the business.

    Ore said: “Sadly, only about 15 of BASA are being serviced, while others are virtually of little benefits, except for commercial income of $20 per seat carried by foreign airlines on routes not plied by Nigerian airlines.

    “For over two decades, this trend has continued leading to capital flight, underdevelopment of the aviation sector, youth unemployment and the death of many domestic operators.

    “The Federal Government must ensure a review of bilateral air services agreement, aircraft types, routes, meals on board, frequency of flight per week, double entry as well as designation into Nigeria.”

    The experts noted that the dearth of core aviation professionals remains a big issue in the industry, adding that if not tackled, it could arrest the sector’s growth.

    Ore added: “There is no doubt that there is serious shortage of core aviation personnel now in the aviation sector.

    “What we have are ageing local manpower, such as pilots, licensed aircraft engineers, licensed avionics enginerrs, skilled ancillary services.

    “Since the liquidation of the former national carrier, Nigeria Airways, many of the trained and experienced staff have either died or retired, leaving a few that are threatened out of existence by the influx of their foreign counterparts.

    “In fact, the domination of foreigners in the aviation sector is a present danger to Nigeria as it is believed that few Nigerians are employed by airlines, especially the private and charter operations.”

    The ART called for the establishment of aviation training facilities, such as flying schools, aviation training organisations, as one way of addressing ageing manpower and dwindling technical skills.

    “The aviation training school in Nigeria, in Zaria, should be upgraded in every way to enable it to regain its pride of place as Africa’s number one training centre.

    “The influx of expatriate pilots and engineers has become so worrisome that expatriate quota has become a big issue in the aviation industry.

    “Its effect in airline economics can better be imagined. Apart from the huge costs to domestic airlines, it inevitably leads to capital flight because of dearth of Nigerian professionals,” Ore added.

  • ‘Reduce NCAA’s powers’

    The federal Government has been advised to remove economic regulation of airlines from the functions of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The Chief Executive Officer, Scope Cewntre Limited, a security company, Mr Adebayo Babatunde, said his suggestion would give room for eficiency.

    The Authority, the security expert said, should concentrate on safety to avoid of interest

    He said if this is adhered to by the authorities, it will give room for efficiency.

    He said: “Economic oversight of the airlines is part of the statutory functions of NCAA. I think it should be reviewed. In other climes, the civil aviation authorities have the sole mandate of overseeing safety and security. They have that mandate to focus on issues relating to safety and security of the aviation industry. That does not allow for any economic compromise.

    “A situation where the safety agency is also the economic organ, leaves much to be desired. So, going forward in the New Year, we expect a policy shift that will lead to an Act that will devolve the economic function away from the NCAA.

    “In South Africa, its Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for safety and security oversight, but there is an economic management committee that is set up under the civil aviation law that oversights economic and services rendered. The same thing applies in United Kingdom where another body oversees all economic issues.”

    He also called for the procurement of state-of-the-art security gadgets by the Ministry of Aviation for monitoring of the airports in 2013, adding that as the threat levels change, security apparatus and training should also change to combat crimes within the airports.

    Babatunde called for proper background checks of those employed into the security departments of aviation firms by the appropriate agencies, warning that if this was not done, it could spell doom for the industry.

  • High traffic at Lagos Airport for Xmas

    AS Christmas is celebrate today, there has been an upsurge in passenger traffic at the Lagos airport. People are travelling out in large numbers to celebrate Christmas in their home towns.

    Other passengers were also seen arriving from other aparts of the country.

    At the new General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Lagos, passengers were seen on long queues trying to buy their tickets while others were on their way to board the plane to their various destinations.

    The situation was not different at the International wing of the airport as the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

    One of the passengers at MMA2, Mr Michael Onocha, who was travelling on Aero Contractors airlines to Benin, said he was going to visit his family in Asaba so that he could spend the Christmas holidays with them.

    Onocha further said he had to fly to Benin because it was the shortest destination he could fly to before taking a bus to connect to Asaba where his family lives.

    He said: “I’m travelling to Benin. Actually, I am going to visit my family in Asaba, but I have to take Benin because that is the shortest possible place I can fly to, then I will take a bus to connect to Asaba.”

    Onocha, however, noted that he was not impress by the passengers traffic as there were no adequate airlines to carter for the growing need of the flying publics.

    According to him, “It is not impressive, it shows that the country is not even improving at all. the leaders are not really doing anything to improve the situation, we should have up to five domestic airlines flying and I want to believe that they can do this by reviewing the policies on aviation.”

  • GreenSky set for lift up

    British Airways and Solena are gaining momentum in their goal of producing sustainable jet fuel with technology partners for their GreenSky London initiative now in place and British Airways confirming its financial commitment.

    GreenSky London is a flagship project that would see the construction of a state-of-the-art facility that would annually convert about 500,000tonnes of waste normally destined for landfill into 50,000 tonnes of sustainable low carbon jet fuel, 50,000 tonnes of biodiesel, bionaphtha and renewable power.

    Solena’s technology consortium continues to grow and includes: Solena Fuels Corporation will provide the high temperature gasification process that converts waste matter into synthesis gas and the overall Integrated Biomass Gasification to Liquids (IBGTL) solution. Oxford Catalysts Group/Velocys will supply the Fisher-Tropsch (FT)reactors and catalyst which will convert the cleaned synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons.

    Fluor has started the Pre-front end Engineering and design (Pre-FEED) for the project. Fluor is a world leader in project execution and bio-fuel projects, and is providing engineering services to support Solena.

    British Airways has committed to purchasing, at market competitive prices,the jet fuel produced by the plant for the next ten years which equates to US$500.

    Barclays has also been appointed as advisor to explore the optimal funding through Export Credit Agencies. A Competitive Letter of Interest has been obtained from one of the Agencies including associated term funding.

     

  • Owners decry attacks on fishing trawlers

    The Nigeria Fish Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) has decried the frequent hijack of fishing trawlers on the nation’s territorial water.

    Its President, Mr John Overo, said in Lagos that attacks on vessels were on the rise again.

    He said vessels belonging to his members were being attacked and their catches stolen by the pirates.

    Overo, therefore, called on the Federal Government to assist in stemming the ugly development.

    “We lose colossal investments to the pirates because they also remove valuable items in the vessels, whenever they attacked.

    “They always remove electronic gadgets on board, which include the SSB Radio, VHF Radio, Radar and Echo Sounder,’’ he said.

    Overo described the situation as worrisome and pleaded with the government to evolve measures that could checkmate sea pirates before they escalated.

    “NITOA has often called for provision of adequate security in the territorial waters.

    “This is to ensure safe operations for fishing vessels and other law abiding maritime users,’’ he said.

    Overo urged the Federal Government to provide effective security in the maritime environment in the interest of the nation.

    The NITOA chief said the appeal was necessary to save the sector from collapse due to huge overhead costs, especially the high cost of diesel.‘

    These precarious situations will likely make the sector to go under.

    “Our productivity has declined due to high cost of diesel used in operating the trawlers,’’ he complained.

    Overo said that 85 per cent of the sector operation was being run solely on diesel, thus incurring huge overhead costs.

  • IRS, Turkish Airlines sign pact

    As part of its expansion program and to ensure professionalism and quality service are woven deeper into the service offerings from IRS Airlines, especially at this crucial expansion phase, the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Turkish Airlines.

    The MoU, which has the support of the government of both countries agrees bilateral relationships between IRS Airlines and Turkish Airlines that will see Turkish airlines sharing its experience and cooperating with IRS Airlines in the following areas; training and personnel development, maintenance and repair, Cabin interior, bilateral interline traffic agreement and special proration agreement.

    Both companies agreed to promote economic relations between Nigeria and Turkey using Civil Aviation means.

    The MoU was signed at Istanbul Turkey by Alhaji Rabiu I. Rabiu, Chairman/CEO for IRS Airlines and by Dr Temel Kotil, President/Chief Executive Officer for Turkish Airlines.

    IRS Airlines is a Nigerian licensed domestic and regional airline with eight major destinations and hubs in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria.

    Turkish Airlines is a major European Carrier and the world’s fifth largest airline with a worldwide network including 205 cities in 90 countries and over 200 aircraft in its fleet. Turkish Airline has been voted best airline in Europe for two consecutive years.

  • Medview Airlines to acquire more aircraft

    Medview Airlines is set to acquire more aircraft in its bid to boost its operations.

    A source told The Nation that the resolve to expand its fleet- size comes on the heels of the passenger capacity, which is steadily rising ahead of the yuletide.

    Director-General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren a few months ago charged the managers of the airline to carry out safe flights as the industry is set to pursue zero fatality among airlines.

    Demuren, who spoke at the inaugural flight of Medview Airlines at the new Domestic Terminal Two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, affirmed that the pursuit of air safety is a collective responsibility involving concerted efforts from the airline, industry regulator and other aeronautical service providers.

    He urged the carrier to offer premium services that would fill the gap created by the crash of Dana Air, which has led to a has reduce the number of domestic operators.

    He said passengers were finding it difficult to secure seats on airlines after the steps taken to reposition the industry for profitability, adding that the commencement of flight by Medview Airlines offers alternatives for passengers who have been constrained to fly only a few carriers.

    Demuren explained that it took a rigorous process for the NCAA to issue an air operators certificate to Medview Airlines, after the authority scrutinised the manuals to ensure that its operations are safe.

    He said the airline carried out 50 hours and 45 minutes of demonstration flights without carrying passengers to ensure the safety and competence of the airline.

    He further explained that it took 18 months for NCAA to look at the books of the airline before giving its nod for the operations, which he affirmed, would now reduce the burden of passengers in the sector.

    The inaugural flight also had in attendance the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, who urged the managers of the airlines to adhere to safety procedures during their operations of the firms.

    Chairman of Medview Airlines Alhaji Muneer Bankole, solicited the cooperation of industry players to keep the operations afloat, saying that it was easy for them.

    He assured passenges of prompt and reliable services.

  • Our predicament over GAT, by Bi-Courtney

    Our predicament over GAT, by Bi-Courtney

    In the past few weeks, opinions have been sharply divided over the ownership status of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos between Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited and the Federal Government.The firm’s spokesperson, Steve Omolale-Ajulo, examines the contending issues.

    The newly inaugurated General Aviation Terminal (GAT) remodelled and redeveloped by the Ministry of Aviation, has been a subject of controversy between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), concessionaire of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos.

    By consistently claiming that the GAT belongs to it, the Ministry of Aviation has clearly breached parts of the simple agreement willingly inked by its officials with BASL.

    Many Nigerians know that when you signed an agreement, it behoves you to obey that agreement. However, in the case of the ministry and FAAN, they signed an agreement, they reneged on certain aspects of it, we went to court and judgments were entered in our favour. Unfortunately, all the court judgments have been disobeyed.

    Two major issues are in contention over the agreement they signed with BASL on the GAT and MMA2. One is the ownership of GAT and the second is the tenure of our concession, which is 36 years. Without mincing words, GAT belongs to Bi-Courtney by virtue of the agreement the ministry and FAAN signed with us.

    The Coordinating Committee, set up to resolve all the disputes arising from the agreement, had long ago resolved the dispute over GAT in favour of Bi-Courtney after series of meetings attended by all the representatives of FAAN and Bi-Courtney thus: “The Committee unanimously resolves the issue in favour of the Concessionaire (BASL) and directs the Grantor (FAAN) to immediately deliver possession of the General Aviation Terminal at its Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, to the Concessionaire for the purpose of extending operations at MMA2.”

    The resolution of the Coordinating Committee of the GAT dispute is in tandem with what Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court resolved in our favour as far back as March 3, 2009, in a matter brought before her by BASL, in which she said: “It is my considered view that if any right has been granted either in principle or otherwise, such is in breach of provisions of Article 2.2 (c) and 3.2 (c) of the Agreement.

    This judgment was reaffirmed by Justice G. K. Olotu, also of the Federal High Court, on July 3, 2012, and the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on June 13, 2012, in which the panel of justices, led by Justice Jimi Olukayode Bada dismissed FAAN’s appeal of the judgment of the Federal High Court for lack of merit.

    “Consequent upon the foregoing, it is my view that the Applicant has not been able to establish any superior legally recognisable interest that would enable this Court exercise its discretion in the Applicant’s favour.”

    The court also faulted FAAN’s reasons for failure to appeal or seek leave to appeal within the time stated in paragraph 3(i) of the affidavit in support of the Application that it was not aware of the existence of the Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/50/2009 before the lower court and as a result, it could not participate at the hearing.

    The appellate court added: “It looks absurd that after the authorisation to appeal, the Applicant did not file this application until 29/6/2010. The affidavit in support of the application did not explain the reason for the delay till 29/6/2010 in bringing this application, despite the fact that authorisation was given to the Applicant to proceed and appeal since 23rd March, 2010.”

    On the duration of our concession, which was Issue Number 4 resolved by the Coordinating Committee, we make bold to say that the agency and the ministry’s insistence on 12 years is absurd, as the concession tenure has long been settled at 36 years.

    On October 12, 2006, FAAN through a letter to BASL, dated October 12, 2006 and signed by Dr. Jaiye Oyedotun, Director of Commercial and Business Development on behalf of the Managing Director of the authority, entitled: “Re: Tenure of new MMA Domestic Terminal By Messrs Bi-Courtney On BOT Business Arrangement” wrote: “On the basis of the KPMG report, which recommends thirty-six years as the tenure for the concession, FAAN is offering BCC Limited a concession period of thirty-six (36) years on the New MMA Domestic Terminal, being developed by Messrs BCC Limited on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) business arrangement.”

    Based on FAAN’s letter, Bi-Courtney accepted the offer via a letter dated October 13, 2006, and signed by Dr. Adeniyi Odunlami. In the letter, Bi-Courtney wrote: “We acknowledged receipt of your letter dated October 12, 2006, offering us a concession period of 36 years on the new Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal that is being developed by us under a BOT arrangement. We write to formally accept your offer of a concession tenure of 36 years on the new Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal.”

    And in resolving the dispute engineered by FAAN over the 36-year tenure and based on the facts before it, the Coordinating Committee said: “Decision: Accordingly, the Committee hereby unanimously resolves this issue in favour of the Concessionaire. The Committee affirms that the length of the concession period granted to the Concessionaire by the Grantor is 36 (Thirty Six) years from the anniversary of the Start Date as defined in the Concession Agreement.”

    The Ministry of Aviation and FAAN have also always argued that “most of the cases and attempts at arbitration were conducted without the full incorporation and participation of FAAN…” But, they know that this is not true, as they were fully represented by senior lawyers, who are still alive today, at every attempt at arbitration and in all court cases.

    They also say we parade fake documents to argue our case. Nigerians should tell them to bring out their own genuine documents signed by their representatives at all the meetings and court cases in which both parties were present.

    Then, another common language they speak regularly is that the GAT was developed in “public interest”. The question is which public interest in a matter already decided by the courts?

    Those in the know can attest to the fact that Bi-Courtney was not the preferred bidder for rebuilding the then burnt local airport, but the reserved bidder. It was a year after the bid was won by Sanders Ventures Limited without anything concrete on ground that Bi-Courtney was invited to take over the project.

    And today, Bi-Courtney has succeeded in making MMA2 the first and most successful Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project in Nigeria and we are aware that many Nigerians are proud of this unique achievement.