As COVID-19 continues to ravage air transportation, a coalition of international aviation regulators are calling on policy makers across the globe to evolve intervention measures that will guarantee continuity and sustainability of airports and airlines, KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR reports.

 

These are not the best of times for operators in the air transport industry as airport authorities and airlines continue to count  their losses as a consequence of the continuous spread of Corona Virus, also known as COVID-19.

The bodies – Airports Council International (ACI),International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) – are worried that unless the government roll out intervention measures, it could take a longer time for the global air transport industry to recover from the negative impact of COVID-19.

Towards this end, the regulators say one way to get the sector on track if for governments to roll out exceptional policies that could mitigate the losses suffered by airport authorities and airlines in the face of dwindling passenger traffic at airports across the regions in the last few months.

As the world suffers the impacts of COVID-19, socially and economically, ACI, in particular,  has called on policy makers globally to come out with a policy response to ensure the continuity and sustainability of airport operations.

ACI made the call in Montreal,  Canada after its monthly global traffic statistics for January showed the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak had an effect on passenger traffic, particularly in Asia-Pacific.

According to Gittens, global  passenger traffic grew by just 1.9 per cent in January, down from 4.9 per cent the previous month.

She said the industry’s 12-month rolling average reached 2.9 per cent, which was  propped up by the middling growth observed last year.

She said: “The Asia-Pacific region was already showing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis in January, declining by 1.8 per cent  due to a significant shift in domestic traffic.

“Results for the freight industry showed a decline by minus 4.4 per cent  for the month as compared to January 2019. Preliminary figures for 2019 show a decline of minus 4.5 per cent for the year.

We can expect that the disruptions in supply chains and the shock to the global economy precipitated by the reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, will cause an even greater decline in.

The market’s 12-month rolling average stood at minus three per cent  in January, with an unprecedented and difficult period ahead.

“These figures show that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on aviation was rapid, especially in the Asia-Pacific region,” ACI World Director-General, Angela Gittens said.

“The aviation industry is facing unprecedented upheaval due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation calls for an exceptional policy response to ensure the continuity and sustainability of airport operations.

“Airport operators are prioritising the health of passengers and staff first and foremost and, while it is hoped that the global health crisis will recede well before the year ends, it is possible that the economic impact could persist into 2021.

“The financial cost to the global industry in 2020 is rapidly growing. This is a fast-moving and ever-changing crisis and governments must act decisively and quickly.

“ACI World urges the aviation industry and governments to come together to ensure the impact is borne equitably and solutions are fair and reasonable so as to provide the greatest impetus for a swift and balanced recovery,” he added.

IATA, on its part, has written to the heads of government of 18 states in Asia-Pacific to appeal for emergency support to airlines as they fight for survival due to the dramatic loss of air travel demand due to the COVID-19 crisis.

These states include Bangladesh, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Its Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Alexandre de Juniac made this known in an interview.

He said: “Airlines are fighting for survival in every corner of the world. Travel restrictions and evaporating demand mean that, aside from cargo, there is almost no passenger business. For airlines, it’s apocalypse now. And there is a small and shrinking window for governments to provide a lifeline of financial support to prevent a liquidity crisis from shuttering the industry.

“In a matter of days, the crisis facing airlines worsened dramatically. We are 100 per cent  behind governments in supporting measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

But we need them to understand that without urgent relief, many airlines will not be around to lead the recovery stage. Failure to act now will make this crisis longer and more painful.

Some 2.7 million airline jobs are at risk. And each of those jobs supports a further 24 in the travel and tourism value chain. Some governments are already responding to our urgent calls, but not enough to make up the $200 billion needed.”

He said IATA was proposing many options for governments to consider, which include: direct financial support to passenger and cargo carriers to compensate for reduced revenues and liquidity attributable to travel restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19.

Juniac said: “Loans, loan guarantees and support for the corporate bond market by governments or central banks. The corporate bond market is a vital source of finance, but the eligibility of corporate bonds for central bank support needs to be extended and guaranteed by governments to provide access for a wider range of companies.

‘’Tax relief and rebates on payroll taxes paid to date in 2020 and/or an extension of payment terms for the rest of 2020, along with a temporary waiver of ticket taxes and other government-imposed levies.

“A growing number of governments in Asia-Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, have announced financial relief packages for the airline industry and we are grateful to them for the assistance rendered during this dark period for the airline industry. But we need more governments to come on board to support the airline industry serving their markets.

“There are over 30 million jobs supported by the aviation industry that are at stake. Also at risk is the aviation connectivity that is needed to support supply chains, the flow of essential goods and medical supplies, as well as repatriation flights to bring home citizen stranded overseas.

“And the country will need a viable aviation sector to support the economic recovery.”

In addition to financial support, IATA called for regulators to provide relief measures, with key priorities in Europe to include an  urgent temporary amendment to the EU261 passenger rights regulation.

Read Also: Onyeama denies testing positive for COVID-19

 

Other measures, IATA said should include  immediate  short-term flexibility  permitting the use of vouchers instead of refunds, as has been allowed for some tour operators, as this would give airlines breathing space to repair cash flows.

Juniac said: ”Providing a package of measures to ensure air cargo operations, including fast-track procedures to obtain overflight and landing permits, exempting flight crew members from 14-day quarantine, and removing economic impediments (overflight charges, parking fees, and slot restrictions).

“Some regulators are taking positive action. We are grateful to the European Council for insisting on a full-season waiver to the slot use rule.

This will enable airlines and airports greater flexibility for this season and greater certainty for next summer. But there is more to do on the regulatory front. Amendments are urgently needed to give more flexibility for EU 261. And they must take measures to keep air cargo moving.”

On its part, ICAO’s  Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu  praised the commitment of G20 leaders, which promised financial support to get global air transport and the global economy back on its feet.

She said: “Aviation connectivity is critical to successful global recovery from COVID-19.”

African Airlines Association (AFRAA) acknowledged that COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the industry and global economy at large.

ItsSecretary-General, Abderahmane Berthe, in an interview, urged  African   governments to consider the compensation of inevitable losses, the  alleviation of exogenous operating  costs,  and the subsidisation of the African  airlines  to assure the industry’surviability.

Berthe said: “We strongly recommends that African airlines engage  stakeholders to  develop  an  all- inclusive  proactive  response  strategy that addresses  the  adverse  impact of the COVID-19 on  their  business to  ensure airlines recover effectively to support key economic sectors.”

He said AFRAA remained   at  the  forefront with its  members and  the  airline industry at large, in  collaborative  efforts to deal with  and  contain the pandemic calling upon all stakeholders to take the necessary measures and precautions to keep safe.

He went on: “African  airlines  association is issuing weekly bulletins to its  45-member airlines across  the entire continent and other  stakeholders of COVID-19 as well as to share guidelines and best practices.”

Also, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the government extend the intervention package put in place by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)  to indigenous carriers.

Its Executive Chairman,Captain Nogie Meggison urged the Ministry of Aviation to take a cue from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by directing the various agencies under its supervision to put in place palliative measures to airline operators to reduce the loses they would suffer from the impact of the virus.

He said: “We are using this medium to call on aviation agencies, through the Federal Ministry of Aviation, to follow the same path by supporting domestic airlines.

”Our government can do the same by granting some reliefs to Nigerian airlines as a way of assisting them during this very difficult time to recover from their losses.”

 

Investment opportunities are becoming boundless in aviation industry. Regrettably, private sector players in Nigeria  are not taking advantage of existing windows. To reverse this trend, regulators and the airport authority  are meeting in Abuja next month to examine ways of unlocking huge investment windows for the sector, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

 

Global aviation is becoming a huge industry with  massive investment opportunities spanning airport business, airlines,  ground handling, shuttle and hailing services, airline catering, tourism, leasing, financing and other  activities that  boost economic development.

Studies reveal that public financing options are becoming inadequate to drive these chain of activities, thereby paving the way for massive private sector investment and other intervention models.

To bridge this gap, a campaign is mounting among aeronautical agencies on the strategies to be adopted to attract private sector investors.

The push for private sector investment continues to gain global traction as regulatory bodies, including Airports Council International (ACI) and International Air Transport Association (IATA), have endorsed the private sector investment model for countries, including Nigeria.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aviation industry supports over $2.7 trillion of the world’s gross domestic product.

On the African continent, operations of airlines and airports generate over $10.3 billion yearly to the gross domestic product.

The global airline’s regulator said air transport supports over 6.2 million jobs and $ 55.8 billion in Africa.

But, Nigeria is yet to fully plug into this window given the size of its aviation.

To reverse this trend, the government, through the Ministry of Aviation and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), will engage players and stakeholders next month in Abuja in discussions on how to pull investment into the  aviation industry at  the maiden edition of National Aviation Conference.

In an interview with The Nation last week in Lagos,  Managing Director, FAAN, Captain Rabiu  Yadudu, said its proposed conference could not have come at a better time than when aeronautical authorities were thinking out of the box in  deepening the  space for greater private sector inclusion and investments in aviation and allied sectors.

He said the conference would provide a window for Nigeria to interface global air transport expertise in navigating around issues on the implementation of single African air transport market in terms of its prospects and challenges.

Read Also: How to grow aviation, by CPC boss

 

The experts, it was learnt, will examine issues on “Challenges of route development in Nigeria’s aviation industry,” “Procurement and maintenance of safety critical facilities in aviation industry: Getting it right,” “Harnessing opportunities in Nigeria air cargo development through states, collaboration and partnership,” Nigerian airports gateway to development and managing tourists destinations in Nigeria “Special economic zones at the airports and trade facilitation: Growing revenue and the national gap,” ” Ease of doing business as a panacea for boosting investments in Nigerian airports,” “Consolidating safety culture in the Nigerian aviation industry,” “Aviation and national se-curity: emerging trends.”

Speaking in an interview with The Nation last week in Lagos, President Top Brass Aviation, Captain Roland Iyayi, said limitless opportunities in the aviation sector has not been fully utilised by both private and multi lateral players saying the time for national conversation to attract investment in many layers of aviation value chain could not have come at a better time.

Also, former Secretary-General,  Mr Nick Fadugba, said Nigeria should not isolate itself in the global move to attract investment and capacity building in the aviation sector.

A source in the Ministry of Aviation said networking at high levels were ongoing to attract experts, including former Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Segun Runsewe; aviation security expert, Dr Anne Eyinnaya-Egbadon; Executive Secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Ms. Yewande Sadiku and ace aerodrome safety and fire fighting expert, Peter Onyeri, to offer their perspectives to the conversation.

Aviation consultant and Chief Executive Officer, FCI Nigeria Limited and organisers of NIGAV awards, Mr Fortune Idu, said the time for discussions to expand  the investment and operational space of the sector was long overdue in view of lacunae not exploited by private sector and other players.

Idu said: “There is need for the industry to access veritable solutions which have been adopted by other players relative to the future and growth of the industry.

“There is need to discuss the future of airport vis a vis innovations , safety and security financing and leasing, sustainability , growth drivers , logistics as well as build indigenous intellectual capacity that is required to complement and effectively manage the infrastructural development in the industry.

“The industry needs conversation for stakeholders to showcase commercial offerings at airports in respective states to attract foreign and local investors to drive efforts at boosting agricultural, solid minerals and tourism activities in these locations with its attendant chain effects signaling commercial viability.’’

Investigations reveal that leading industry lights, including IATA Regional Manager, West Africa, Dr Samson Fatokun, Chief Executive Officer, Landover Company, Captain Edward Boyo as well as Executive Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Captain Noggie Meggison, will offer their perspective from the airline’s point of view.

 

 

Continuous spread of COVID-19 across the globe is affecting the aviation industry as passenger traffic into Nigeria is dipping, The Nation has learnt.

Investigations by revealed that of the 30 foreign carriers flying into and out of Nigeria, passenger load is on the decline with some of the terminal buildings becoming empty.

A source hinted that some foreign carriers, including Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Air Meridien are adjusting their flight schedule to avoid flying half-filled aircraft as passengers are staying off some destinations rife with the spread of the disease.

An Immigration source hinted that data on movement of passengers into the country through the window of Visa-on-Arrival shows reduction in numbers of foreigners; either as visitors or tourists.

The source hinted that between January and February a paltry 440 and 265 foreigners entered the country using the Visa-On-Arrival window.

These numbers, the source hinted was a far cry from the number recorded in the past months before COVID-19 started ravaging global travel and by implication passenger traffic into Nigeria.

The source confirmed: ”That is the implication of Covid 19 to business investors to Nigerian or ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“Imagine statistics on visa on arrival is declining. We recorded 440 in January and 265 in February. These figures compared to what we had in the past shows fewer foreigners are coming into Nigeria using visa on arrival.

“The traffic has been slow compared to before; so many airlines have communicated to us that due to technical issues, they are reducing or not flying, for example, Turkish, Qatar Airlines  and others for a while. That is what we are experiencing, you can see the hall is empty now.

“The influx of our guests, the number is not much as before.”

The source hinted that Federal Government’s curtailment and containment measures at airports was paying off.

He said besides stepping up screening facilities for airport personnel enlightenment by Port Health officials has been ramped up.

The source said: ”With the support the Federal Government gives us here, the awareness is always on the high increase both the officials and passengers at the airport, everybody is aware, port health services have been giving us professional support on how to implement the preventive skills and so on.

“They always sensitise us and FAAN, too, as regards to these issues. In fact, the officers in the airport are properly informed and it is a continuous matter and everybody is alert.

“Initially, when the Coronavirus  started there were agitation between the passenger and officers in the airport but now it is seamless, everybody is cooperating to fight that, formerly the passengers where looking at it, they are humiliating them here and there so because of the awareness that come all over from the government, the officers and the passengers are on the same page to fight that.’’

The source continued: ”Our embarkation form, the information there is very reliable and that is the bulk of the data for the passengers, one passenger manifest, so these are the raw data that give us a trace  to the passenger in line and it is really helpful.

“We synergise with port health and other agencies that need that information on the passenger. The effectiveness of the report or the data is as a result of the migrants information data system implementation in the airport, very accurate and timely,with a touch of buttons, we get individual passenger details, their passport, their address and hard copy, everything tallies.”

Besides efforts by the airport authorities and Port Health personnel, domestic carriers at not leaving anything to chance in protecting passengers and their crew.

To spike this, Air Peace at the weekend introduced temperature checking for passengers before boarding its aircraft for any flight.

The airline said the move became necessary as part of containment measures for the spread of deadly Coronavirus.

Besides temperature checking for passengers, the airline said it is  disinfecting any aircraft before any flight, warning that passengers who refused to cooperate will be declined boarding and their fare refunded.

Speaking in an interview,  its Safety Manager,  Captain Godfrey Ogbogu said the airline also introduced measures for protecting its numerous passengers and staff against the spread of Coronavirus.

Ogbogu stated that all passengers of Air Peace would be subjected to a thorough hand sanitisation at the boarding gate.

He revealed that any passenger whose temperature reads above 38 degrees, will not be allowed to board while a refund will be issued.

According to him: “We wish to state categorically that any passenger who fails to cooperate will be declined boarding on any of our flights”.

Assuring the passengers that these exercises will be seamlessly carried out, Ogbogu hinted that the passengers will not be inconvenienced in any way.

The Captain enjoined all passengers to cooperate with the airline to this end, as the World Health Organisation, WHO, has declared COVID-19 a pandemic.

He disclosed that the airline’s aircraft is extensively sanitised before flying each day.

Read Also: Coronavirus has reinforced our resolve to diversify economy – Minister of Finance

 

Ogbogu said Air Peace is cooperating with the Federal Government in fighting the incidence of the pandemic.

“We use this opportunity to thank all our customers for making us their airline of choice; the safety of our passengers and workforce is our priority, and this we shall pursue vigorously,’’ he said.

On the foreign front international carriers including Turkish Airlines said it has taken steps to prioritize safety measures to minimize the effects and spread of COVID 19.

Towards this end,  all Turkish Airlines planes , the carrier said are  now disinfected with substances approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and aircraft manufacturers.The airline disclosed this in a statement.

It reads : “ All surfaces passengers come in contact with, go through extensive cleaning processes by a dedicated special hygiene team.

“We have taken extra measures since the beginning of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic to minimize both its effects and spreading. Our foremost priority being the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew members”, a statement on the airline’s Website reads

It went  on :” At the  point of passenger boarding, crew members monitor passengers while welcoming them on board and throughout the flight. In the case of a passenger showing symptoms of the disease, the passenger in question undergoes a medical check with the directives of the host country’s health authority. During flights, the cabin air  is repetitively purified with hospital-grade High-efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

“The filtration system constantly disinfects the air of any harmful substance in the air during flights.

“ All passengers are also required to complete the passenger self-reporting form distributed by the Federal Ministry of Health.

“Items such as forks, spoons, glasses and plates used during meals, are also disinfected asides the regular washing routine. All fabrics and devices used onboard, go through an extensive cleaning process and are replaced with fresh sets for each flight. Since the epidemic, the Airline has increased the number of face masks, disposable gloves, sanitizers, and other disinfectants on its fleet of aircraft.”

The statement also revealed that the airline prioritizes travel safety and is unwaveringly committed to working with local and international authorities to contain the spread of the virus.

The airline’s statement further  reads:  “As the airline that always puts the travel security at the forefront, Turkish Airlines will continue to monitor the latest developments on the situation with the national and international health authorities and take appropriate precautions. As the World Health Organization declared the potential risk of the virus, we have been acting per the recommendations and instructions of the World Health Organization, IATA, and related national and international authorities since the first week of January 2020.

“ In regards to flight schedules affected by the outbreak, the airline is determined to compensate customers.

The statement read: “We would like to inform our passengers that due to the lowered load factors caused by the suspension of other routes, several of our flights to/from Nigeria will be undergoing cancellations in March. “

Our Reporter

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, said it is  working with Accuity, the leading global provider of financial crime compliance, payments and Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions.

The deal is to help automate and streamline its regulatory compliance screening operations, increase efficiency and improve the speed of service to its customers.

Emirates Sky Cargo has implemented Firco Trade Compliance, an Accuity solution that efficiently screens shipment documentation (such as airway bills) against sanctions, dual-use goods and regulatory watch lists, within a single interface.

The new solution enhances Emirates SkyCargo process, enabling the business to automate six  million compliance checks each month. This will significantly improve efficiency, while enabling Emirates to uphold the extremely high compliance standards that sit at the heart of its ethos.

Read Also: Air Peace acquires Embraer jet

Emirates Senior Vice President, Cargo Operations Worldwide, Henrik Ambak, said: “Our top priority is to continue to adhere to regulatory requirements and manage our screening obligations accurately. Working with Accuity has enabled us to screen our very high volumes of shipments more efficiently ensuring that we comply with all international regulations.”

Firco Trade Compliance is an award-winning solution that was developed to enable banks to detect sanctions risks in trade finance transactions. Through collaborative innovation with clients, Accuity has adapted the offering to cater to the freight industry’s large-scale and highly complex operational requirements.

Cargo operators are responsible for conducting due diligence on the parties and items involved in every shipment they facilitate. This includes verifying the legitimacy of the sender and recipient, checking for dual-use or controlled goods (for example, those that could have a military purpose), and ensuring the shipment is not going to or coming from a prohibited location.

Emirates will now be able to screen shipment documentation against a variety of regulatory lists, such as the OFAC sanctions list and the EU dual and controlled goods list. Firco Trade Compliance also allows the analysis of bespoke datasets so, for example, Emirates will be able to screen goods against an endangered wildlife list, all within the same system.

Collaboration among professionals – pilots, air traffic controllers, flight dispatchers and other crew personnel in aviation industry – is often an uphill task. But, these groups have met in Lagos under the aegis of the ATC – Pilots Forum, to proffer solutions to the problems confronting aviation, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

Safety in the airspace got a boost last week when members of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers ( NAAPE) and Flight Crew Association of Nigeria (FCAN) met  with stakeholders to discuss how to achieve improvement in air safety.

The meeting, which held in Lagos, was the second. It was part of efforts by these experts to point out the lingering challenges in the sector and propel relevant institutions to take action in fixing identified the sore points.

Chairman ATC-Pilots Forum Steering Committee, Ahmad Abba, described the forum as a platform for frontline professionals in the sector to share ideas and dissect common operational challenges, make appropriate recommendations to enhance safety of flight operations.

He said the platform had become a melting point where issues of safety and efficiency of the airspace are examined.

Abba said the forum took up the implementation of the Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) in relation to the number of air traffic controllers that have been trained on it as well as aircraft compliance and operational requirements.

He said: ”We also raised concerns about perennial air-to-ground and ground-to- ground communications problems, air traffic controllers’ training and manpower development, Nigeria’s pilots market, professionalism and proficiency, airport and air navigation infrastructure.”

Abba said since the last interaction, significant improvements had been achieved in the areas of air navigation services provision and pilots compliance with air traffic control instructions.

He said the industry came under focus recently when flights were diverted due to harsh weather.

The unfortunate development, he said, not had only made a mess of efforts by the government to replace and install category three instrument landing systems at the Abuja and Lagos airports, government did not go the whole hog in flight checking the efficiency and accuracy of these equipment.

Abba said: “The operating weather minima at the Lagos Airport had to be raised as a result of non-availability of these these aids, not because they are not on air, but because they were not flight tested. Flight diversions and cancellation put the nation on the spotlight, despite the noble efforts at improving the standards of Nigeria’s air navigation infrastructure.

“It, in turn, put excessive pressure on pilots and air traffic controllers all over the country. A critical look at the resulting situation revealed the need for collaboration between various organs of the industry.”

He canvassed capacity building at all strata of the industry, proper planning flight checking of air navigation infrastructure after installation.

He however appealed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Captain Salisu Yadudu and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Captain Musa Nuhu, to resolve the issue of runway 18 Left lightening at Lagos Airport.

Abba added: “It has both safety and economic implications. Aircraft taxi for at least 15 minutes after landing, cross crossing each other between the international and the local wings of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport places huge economic burden on airline operators.

“The closure of the central taxi (taxi bravo) in Lagos needs to be looked into urgently. Abuja second runway is also becoming a must.’’

On her part, NATCA National President,  Abayomi Agoro, said the forum had become imperative in extending the frontiers of discussions as well strategically examine various challenges bedeviling the aviation sector.

Agoro said the forum intends to come up with suggestions and good policy decisions that would go a long way in enhancing safety and development of the sector.

Describing the recent disruptions of flights into and out of Lagos as a blight on the industry, Agoro said he could not afford afford to lose its goodwill given the huge resources invested by the government.

He said: ”It is time to reflect on some salient issues. One of which is the training of operational/technical staff in the sector. Our personnel need training and retraining

‘’We have to draw the attention of the relevant aviation authorities to the deficit in training and requisite exposure that has been lacking lately. These programmes are important to meet up with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s recommendations and, ultimately, give our staff the knowledge, skill and technical exposure to tackle whatever challenges that may crop up in the course of duty.

“The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, which is saddled with providing air traffic control services to ensure safety, has, sadly, not been able to deliver on her core operational training. Technical/operational training for relevant personnel have not been given the much-needed attention they deserve.

“Rather, priority is continuously being given to support staff. The training fund allotted to technical/operational staff are grossly inadequate, while NAMA expend a lot to train support staff in administrative courses abroad.”

Agoro said it is unfortunate that air traffic controllers are not exposed to the requisite training regime and the few programmes they benefitted were inadequate to meet the set target.

He lamented: “Many air traffic controllers hardly go for on the job training as and when due for reason of paucity of funds. These training are standard operational requirements and in conformity with global best practices.

“This is an unwholesome development and if care is not taken, the widening gap in what is supposed to be a regular training programme could, ultimately, jeopardise safety and impair our International Civil Aviation Organisation/Federal Aviation Administration ratings.’’

Also, President, FCAN, Captain Roland Roberts, said collaboration among professionals through crew resource management would eliminate many challenges in the sector.

He said his group in the last two years has impressed it on pilots to compulsorily undertake a yearly course, which has identified two major errors affecting crew.

He listed them to include: active errors committed at the sharp end, but occurs at the frontline operators level majorly involving pilots.

He said the second group of errors, described as latent mistakes occurring at the blunt end, include poor designs, bad management decisions, incorrect installations, and poorly structured organisations.

He said: ”Most of the time, we focus only on mitigating the active errors and give no active thought to the latent errors, probably because this is its nature: salient, unperceived and stems from across multiple organisations, such as the NCAA, FAAN, NAMA, airlines and others.

“But it’s not all negative. We need to address employee training and succession plans, with actionable points to arrest latent but equally dangerous errors that increase the workload at the sharp end.“

On his part, NAAPE President, Abednego Galadima called for sustainability of the forum, saying safety is everybody’s business.

Galadima said it is the duty of professionals to promote safety culture in line with ICAO annexes.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, commended the group, urging its members to support the government in addressing the challenges of the sector.

Represented by the Chief Executive Officer, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) Akin Olateru, Sirika said Nigeria, despite the challenges in the sector, has the safest airspace as it recorded no fatalities last year.

Sirika said: “There is need for us to focus on infrastructure, equipment, human capital and building of systems, processes and procedures. Once agencies of the government focus on these elements, we could achieve safety in all operations. There must be collaboration in every segment of the industry to improve the system.”