The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Driving air safety, security at the apron

    Rising incidents involving airlines, ground handling companies and other ancillary services providers at airport aprons are attracting the attention of regulators, especially  because of their attendant effects on safety and security. Experts say enhanced training,  improved regulation and adherence to operational procedures may reduce infractions at the air side, writes KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR.

     

    The move to improve safety at airport aprons is gathering momentum among terminal operators, airlines, ground handling companies, aviation fuel suppliers and other players in the air transport value chain.

    To this end, global bodies namely International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airport Council International (ACI) are mulling a review of operational manuals used by terminal operators, airlines, ground handling companies, fuel suppliers and others who carry out actvities at the apron.

    The apron is where aircraft are parked for passengers to embark; cargo is loaded and aviation fuel supplied into the aircraft preparatory to taxing onto the tarmac before it gets to the runway for take-off.

    Besides pre-flight activities, the apron also provides a window for safety inspectors from the regulatory body to carry out ramp checks on the aircraft to ascertain their readiness for airworthiness before any flight.

    Experts say it is for these reasons that operations at the apron remains a critical part of air travel operation.

    This, according to them, accounts for the new thinking in evolving new measures and strategies  among  industry regulators, airlines and terminal operators aimed at preventing aircraft accidents at the airside.

    To redress this ugly trend , Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) , last week organised a ramp safety week to step up efforts at improving safety at the air side.

    Speaking at the MMA2 Safety Awareness Campaign, its Safety Manager, Mr Charles Aroguma, said the firm in the last 13 years has demonstrated commitment to safety at the terminal through the implementation of safety management systems (SMS) programmes for operators at the facility.

    He said airlines ground handling companies, aviation fuel suppliers, apron cleaning firms and others who carry out business have worked together to achieve safety on the air side.

    Aroguma said:” What we are witnessing today is part of our commitment to ensuring safety in all our activities and your presence is an attestation that it takes all of us coming and working together to make safety a reality on the apron.

    “At MMA2, we will continue to develop and practise robust safety culture across our entire aviation activities that recognises the importance and value of effective aviation safety management.

    “This will be achieved by clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders aimed towards the development and delivery of safe practice and procedures.

    “We sincerely hope that with this campaign, we would be able to address challenges that are inherent in our day-to-day activities.”

    The BASL Safety Manager said the firm has embarked on various steps to address violation of apron safety rules and regulations as well as oil spillage during fueling of aircraft at the terminal.

    According to him, operators of MMA2 are getting worried over developments at the terminal bordering on issues of working without personal protective equipment, activities of ground handling personnel as well as promoting quality reporting culture.

    Aroguma said there was need for prompt identification and intervention of potential safety related issues in and around the apron.

    He added:”We are confident that this exercise will create the required awareness and improve our attitude to safety on the apron  in particular and the airport terminal in general.”

    Also speaking, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director in charge of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Tayib Adetunji Odunowo said there was an urgent need for improvement on air side operations at the MMA2,

    The NCAA director called on the management of BASL to make adjustments on how operations were carried out at the air side around the aircraft that were parked at the apron .

    He said the authorities should draw a template on movement around the aircraft, which he described as the ” Circle of Safety “.

    The NCAA director also urged the terminal operator to urgently look at speeding at the air side, the criteria for issuance of  duty cards as well as measures to be put in place to reduce personnel at the airside.

    Read Also: IATA: infrastructure, funds, others frustrate Africa’s aviation

    Such measures, he said, had become imperative because of their attendant effects on safety and security.

    He said operators of airport terminals must think out of the box on ways of handling limited apron spaces, which usually impacts on airlines’ turn around time.

    The NCAA director urged management of MMA2 to evolve ways and means of eliminating Foreign Object Damage (FOD) at critical points at the airside.

    He said the regulator was getting worried over safety infractions on air side driving as it was working round the clock to evolve new regulatory framework to guide the operations and licensing of personnel saddled with such task.

    He said: “Safety at the air side is a journey not a destination . This is reason the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is interested at operations at the airside . To see how the operations of airlines could affect safety and security,  especially the movement of air side personnel around the airplanes, which must put into consideration the circle of safety.

    “There is need to look at issues concerning a well laid out apron , the equipment lay out and the need for the MMA2 operators to decide how to police the apron with the appropriate personnel.

    “Discussions are on going between the NCAA and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on new measures to improve air safety.”

    Also speaking , Head  of Security, Ehi Multi Systems, Mr Victor Okorobia urged all players to adhere to the implementation of safety management systems to improve air safety and security.

    He said the drive for safety was a collective responsibility to be pursued by all in the air travel value chain.

    Also speaking,  Manager,  Cargo Operations MMA2, Deji Aderemi said the safety awareness campaign had become imperative because it equipped players on the procedures to adopt in processing cargo for flights.

    He said without adequate enlightenment many players in the air transport value chain will not know the value of rejecting some goods meant for air freight that is on the prohibition lists.

    On her part, Safety Services Manager , Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Rukayyah Bashari urged players in the sector to cooperate towards driving safety at the air side , which could be readily achieved through the implementation of safety management measures

    A representative of AeroContractors of Nigeria, Charity Okuns praised  the operators of MMA2 for its responsiveness to safety issues, urging the firm to consolidate its drive for air side safety and security.

    Also speaking, Station Manager, Skyways Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Paul Awnamhobor commended the management of MMA2 for initiating the safety awareness programme, saying it is good for ground handling companies to ramp up their operations .

     

  • Turkish Airlines records increase in passenger traffic

    KELVIN OSA – OKUNBOR

     

    Turkish Airlines recorded 83.3 per cent improvement in passengers and cargo figures last month.

    According to a statement from the airline, its October 2019 traffic result indicated that the number of passengers carried increased by 1.9 per cent ­— 6.6 million passengers.

    It  said domestic load factor was 86.2 per cent while international load factor was 82.9 per cent.

    International-to-international transfer passengers, which in aviation par lance is described as  transit passengers, increased by 8.0 per cent .

    The airline said international passengers, excluding those on transit flights, increased by 9.7 per cent  compared to the same period  last year.

    The statement reads: “Total number of international passengers increased by 8.8 per cent  in October compared to same month of last year, which is the highest growth since the beginning of the year.

    “In October, the national flag carrier realised double digit increases in number of passengers in Middle East and Far East by 11.5 per cent  and 11,4 per cent, respectively. In the same month, cargo/mail volume increased by 7.9 per cent , compared to the same period of 2018. Main contributors to this growth in Cargo/mail volume are Europe with 10,9 per cent , Far East with 10.2 per cent , and North America with 4.6 per cent  increase.

    “According to the January-October 2019 Traffic Results the total number of passengers carried was  around 63.1 million and total load factor reached 81.6 per cent . International load factor was recorded as 80.9 per cent, while domestic load factor reached 86.4 per cent . International-to-international transfer passengers carried increased by 4.3 per cent  and cargo/mail carried during the first ten months of 2019 increased by 9.3 per cent   to 1.3 million tonnes.”

    Meanwhile, its General Manager, Abuja, Mr. Mehmet Asik, said the airline was continously making efforts to improve its services in Nigeria to meet the growing demand of the market.

    Asik said such improvement was necessary it fosters trade relations.

    Read Also: Push for airlines’ ownership of airport

     

    He disclosed this last week in Abuja, as the official sponsor of the African Economic Congress, which held at the Musa Yar ‘ Adua Centre.

    He said Turkish Airlines has demonstrated continued support for he growth of the African Continent with its commitment for the event.

    With over 500 participants, the three-day event with the  theme: “Building the Africa we want: A Scheme into Africa’s Investment Process and Drive”,  focused on promoting collaborations between Africa and the world while addressing challenges in areas like trade and investment, agriculture, and economic policy.

    We consider it is important that our passengers have an unparalleled travel experience when they are on-board our aircraft. We understand our positon within Africa’s aviation landscape and our support to the African Economic Congress is a way of demonstrating that.”

    In June, Turkish Airlines launched flights to Port Harcourt, its third destination in Nigeria, connecting the city to over 300 destinations worldwide.

  • Towards efficient airport systems

    Plans by the government to concession some international airport terminals has triggered a debate on what model of running airports can achieve effienciency. Some experts say adopting the template in place across the  globe is a viable option, writes KELVIN OSA – OKUNBOR

     

    Efficient airports are drivers and catalysts of socio- economic development. But, as a critical air transport infrastructure, how such facilities are run to attract passengers, cargo and other activities has become a subject of global debate.

    According to studies by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United States, a few years ago, there are over 43,982 airports and air fields across the globe, under public/private ownership and management.

    In Africa, there are over 400 airports, majority of which are grossly under-utilised.

    Experts say the ownership and management of airports are more critical than activities that take place in such facilities.

    In the last few decades, there has been a shift from direct government ownership, financing and management of airports to greater  private sector involvement.

    Private sector management of airports has many advantages, such as efficiency associated with greater specialisation;  access to new sources of investment and stimulation of aviation-driven economies.

    However, private ownership and operation of airports comes with a high degree of market power and monopolistic tendencies, which  result in the benefits not being passed on to airlines and consumers.

    To drive efficiencies in airports, the  International Air Transport Association (IATA) says governments must take urgent steps to ensure airports are not moved from public monopoly to private monopoly.

    Since the 1980s, the trend towards airport privatisation has been steadily on the rise, as governments and airports look to private money to fund expansion.

    According to a recent report by the Airport Council International World (ACI), 14 per cent  of airports have some level of privatisation, from corporation-led management to varying types of public-private partnership agreements.

    A range of trends are making privatisation more attractive, with the most potent being a rise in passenger traffic.

    Airports are therefore under increasing pressure to expand infrastructure and services to meet demands. But the rise in operating costs and national budget cuts have made this increasingly unattainable for the public sector. Cash-strapped governments privatise airports to increase investment without impacting their national coffers.

    Nevertheless, privatisation in some countries is receiving increased pushback from airline organisations and industry commentators.

    At this year’s IATA general meeting, its CEO and Director-General, Alexandre de Juniac urged governments to take a cautious approach.

    He said that there has not yet been an example of privatisation that has delivered the promised benefits of greater efficiency for airlines, as well as a better experience for customers.

    “Our members are very frustrated with the state of privatised airports,” he said. “By all means, invite private sector expertise to bring commercial discipline and a customer service focus to airport management. But our view is that the ownership is best left in public hands.”

    IATA carried out a research that shows how privatised airports often end up costing passengers more. The argument is that unlike the airline industry – where variety and competition between players drives down prices for consumes – airports can become monopolies, imposing high prices on airlines and passengers.

    ACI says it is neutral in the privatisation debate. However, in June 2018, it stated that “privatisation has been shown to be a successful means by which to fund infrastructure development, while government spending cannot be relied upon as it has been in the past.

    “Forty of the highest revenue earning airport groups are fully or partially privatized.”

    In Nigeria, stakeholders are yet to be on the same page on the rationale for concession or privatisation of the terminals slated for the exercise by the government.

    The Federal Government last year listed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt  among terminals slated for private sector take over.

    Though Transaction Advisers were appointed for the terminals, lack of industry acceptance of the proposal has continued to erect road blocks on the project.

    In an interview in  Lagos, last week, Chief Executive Officer, Belujane Konsult, Mr. Chris Aligbe, said concession of airports remained the way forward, but the government must ensure the process of delivering the airports into private hands must be transparent and  free of intrigues.

    Other industry players disagreed, saying the proposal could trigger a round of job losses as the government was yet to state categorically how labour issues would be resolved.

    A financial expert and Chief Executive Officer, Katari Consult Limited, Mr. Ali Magashi, said the infancy state of airport facilities would not attract any investor.

    He said efforts to either privatise or concession airports may not materialise until the government invested sufficient funds in airport infrastructure to make them attractive.

    He said Nigeria should desist from copying models of airport concession/privatisation in other climes without local input.

    Magashi said though airports have been privatised /concessioned in Europe, United States and Asia, passenger traffic prompted such initiative.

    Chief Executive Officer, Ropeways Transport Limited, Captain Dapo Olumide, said airports would only be attractive to investors if a workable template was put in place to drive its implementation.

    He said investors should be interested in the land area of airport terminals for concession as security and other considerations put the air side under the control of government.

    Also speaking, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji, said concession/privatisation of airports had become imperative because many Nigerian airports managed by government were gross under-utilised and under-developed.

    He said many results from the corridors of air transport research showed that airport expansion and growth favour private equity injection as airport management is more efficient under the private sector.

    He said: “The last ten years have seen these results in favour of privatisation but there are doubts also about the continuation of this trend in the future.

    “In Nigeria, the story has been one experiment, too many challenges. The first experiment we had in this sector, which was the build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) entered with Bi-Courtney Aviation Services at the Murtala Mohammed Airport local terminal (MM2.), has been riddled with controversies leading to many court cases.”

    He went on: “For Nigeria, the biggest challenge of privatisation may be job loss from downsizing. Airports absorb many Nigerians seeking job. But, unfortunately, the size of the airports has not significantly changed.

    “Secondly, the peculiarity of Nigerian airports, development model and the critical role the airport plays where it is seen as a catalyst for business activities, does not necessarily make profit as long as it meets the socio-economic needs.

    “Thirdly, national security issues, where the nation’s gateway may be open to abuse.

    “Fourthly, passenger traffic, though Nigeria is a great nation, her air transportation usability is far below her population ratio, making some airports redundant while some are overly active. This is as a result of low middle class capacity.”

     

    ‘For Nigeria, the biggest challenge of privatisation may be job loss from downsizing. Airports absorb many Nigerians seeking job. But, unfortunately, the size of the airports has not significantly changed’

     

  • Bridging aviation manpower shortage

    Global bodies are thinking out of the box on ways of addressing the looming manpower shortage in the air transport industry. They are pushing for the implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Next Generation of Aviation Professionals  (NGAP) programme for member-states, including Nigeria,  KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

     

    Ageing workforce is becoming a hydra-headed problem in the global air transport industry. To this end, the over 193 member-state of the International Air Transport Association (ICAO) is being forced to return to the drawing board.

    For instance, it is feared that crisis may be looming in the sector as there may not be enough pilots, aircraft engineers, avionics technicians and other professionals to cater to the needs of the projected increase in airlines.

    Besides professionals in the employ of airlines, global concerns are also being raised about ageing workforce and shortage of air traffic controllers in Nigeria and other countries.

    Experts say statistics from ICAO and other groups indicate that unless urgent steps are taken, the global industry may be heading for the rocks because of inadequate and ageing work force to drive growth.

    Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director of Operations and Training Captain Abdulahi Sidi said the industry was facing a huge manpower challenge because the demand for professionals would exceed supply.

    He listed the factors responsible as retirement, lack of attraction of employers to potential candidates,  competition with other sectors for skilled employees, insufficient training to meet demand, learning methodologies not responsive to evolving learning styles, accessibility to affordable training and little or no awareness by the next generation of the professionals available.

    Citing ICAO statistics, Captain Sidi said global airlines will, in the next 10 years, add 25,000 new aircraft to the  11,000-strong commercial fleet.

    He said by 2026, the industry would need 480,000 technicians to maintain the fleet of aircraft expected to be flown by over 350,000 pilots.

    He said ICAO was worried over the trend and had designed a solution .

    Sidi said: ” ICAO’s solution was the establishment of the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) taskforce.

    “This taskforce consists of 29 representatives from industry, education and training providers, regulatory bodies and international organisations. This taskforce will help to ensure enough qualified and competent aviation professionals are available to operate manage and maintain the future international air transport system.

    “A global aviation community that has sufficient competent human resources to support a safe and sustainable air transport system.

    “To develop strategies, best practices, tools, standards and guidelines as applicable and to facilitate information-sharing activities to assist the global aviation community in attracting educating, and retaining the next generation of aviation professionals.

    “The lack of succession plan and its mitigation is the bane of aging workforce. Serving aviation professionals should see to it that their subordinates are exposed to every aspect of their job as features successor.

    It has become incumbent on operators, governments and stakeholders  to sponsor training of candidates pursuing aviation careers.

    Against this backdrop, a firm, Mamaj Aviation Consult Limited, has put together a career conference in Lagos, with the theme: “Inspiring the Next Generation of aviation professionals”, to examine the challenges of ageing work force.

    The convener, Joy Ogbebo, said one way to address the  shortage of aviation professionals was for countries and organisations to initiate the mentoring of the younger generation to attract them to the sector.

    She said the forum highlighted the strategic role human capital development could play in the industry. Ogbebo said the conference also provided an avenue to examine the role of career guidance in capacity building as well as introduce youths to career opportunities in the aviation industry.

    Ogbebo said the conference created a platform to introduce aspiring aviators to career choices and assist them to identify the key skills set required as well as connect them with relevant aviation training organisations.

    She said it was time the government  and some of her agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), started investing in training and education of youths.

    Ogbebo said it was late for the country to invest in the training of younger aviation professionals .

    She said: “We need to start investing in the career development of our youth to channel their interest into aviation professions, including piloting, cabin crew, air traffic control services, flight dispatchers, avionics technicians, aero -medical personnel, airline economists and other endeavours.

    ” We need to take proactive steps to develop human capital. There is no better time to invest in the next generation of aviation professionals than now. If we must have a better future , we must create it. The time is now. What should we do? We need aviation universities where out youth can kick start their journey into the aviation industry in their early stages. We need to focus more on career guidance from secondary school.”

    A market forecast by Airbus indicated that Africa would need 1,000 commercial jets and 21,700 new pilots in the next 20 years.

    American aircraft manufacturer  Boeing Company estimated that Africa would demand 18,000 new pilots and 22,000 technicians over the same period.

    Studies indicate that in the next 20 years, new aircraft will need to be commanded by qualified pilots and maintained by skilled technicians as well as competent air traffic controllers.

    Experts at the Aviation Professionals Forum in Africa called on airline executives and African aviation authorities to take urgent steps to address insufficient training capacity as well as an exodus of skilled manpower as part of the reasons for the shortage of aviation professionals in Africa.

    ICAO Secretary-General, Fang Liu said: “All of us in Africa are concerned. But to further develop aviation, human capacity is key. As we know there a gap between the number of professionals sought and the training capacity in particular in Africa.  Taking all these into consideration, the need for capacity building has become necesary. If the necesary manpower must be made ready for the future of aviation, then the need for capacity building as a proactive step has become necessary. “A few weeks ago, National President of National Association of Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA), Abayomi Agoro called on Federal Government  to increase the retirement age of air traffic controllers from 60 to 65 years to give room for newly recruited ones to catch up from the old hands before leaving the system.

    He said : “What ICAO stipulated was  about 700 air traffic controllers and, as at that time, I don’t think we had up to 27 airports and airfields. Some states are still trying to build new airports, so, it means that the less than 350 air traffic controllers is inadequate and we also try as much as possible to tell the government to increase the retirement age of air traffic controllers from 60 to 65 to bring balance.”

    He noted that the number of ATCS in the country was not enough to man the various airports across the country, but commended the management of NAMA for recruiting more ATCs in recent years, saying that the country’s airspace remained one of the safest in the world.

    “I don’t want the government to leave everything in the hands of NAMA. For example, we are trying to let the government understand that there is need to give NAMA additional funds to train not only air traffic controllers, but also the technical professionals in the agency, whereby maybe they should get some allocations from BASA fund. There is the need for human capital development and NAMA alone cannot shoulder the responsibility. So, I feel the government should do that maybe by allocating a special fund dedicated for training mostly the technical staff . ”

    He said a special fund dedicated to  training of mostly technical staff would further enhance safety.

  • Air Peace acquires New Generation aircraft

    Air Peace has brought in a Boeing 737-800 New Generation to sustain its expansion, domestic and regional operations.

    The aircraft arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport  at the weekend from Europe.

    Disclosing this to reporters, a Corporate Communications Executive of the airline, Mr. Stanley Olisa, stated that the new arrival is a 160- seater aircraft comprising 16 Business Class seats and 144 economy class seats.

    He said: “We are very glad to announce the acquisition of another aircraft, which is a 160-seater B737-800 New Generation aircraft.”

    He said the resolve of the airline is to spread its operations across the length and breath of the country to ease the burden of travel within the country and the West African sub region.

    Air Peace last year became the first airline in sub-Saharan Africa to place an order for 10 B737 Max.

    The airline, earlier this year,  ordered 20 brand new 124-seater E195-E2 jets from Embraer, thereby making history as the launch customer of this new aircraft .

    Read Also: 10 more aircraft coming to boost Air Peace operation

     

    In 2017, Air Peace became the first airline to acquire and register a Boeing 777 in Nigeria.

    It later acquired three more 777s for its international operations, which started on July 5, last year, with flights to Dubai through the Sharjah International Airport.

    The airline said soon it will take on more international routes — London, Houston, Johannesburg, Bombay and Guangzhou.

    The airline management thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for creating the enabling environment.

    Olisa said: “Our Chairman, Mr. Allen Onyema, is eternally grateful to President Buhari for making it possible for Air Peace to become what she is within the four years of President Buhari’s regime through the zero tax regime on imported commercial aircraft and aircraft spares introduced by his administration.’’

  • AIB probes Air Peace air return

    Kelvin Osa Okunbor

     

    The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said on Tuesday that it has been notified on of a serious incident involving a Boeing 737-500 aircraft operated by Air Peace, with registration numbered 5N-BUJ.

    Spokesman of the Bureau,  Tunji Oketumbi disclosed this in a statement.

    He said the aircraft  departed Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos at 0735 local time enroute Owerri with 90 passengers and six  crew members on board.

    He said information provided by the Air Traffc Control (ATC), indicated that the flight crew declared engine failure at 07:47 local time and subsequently made an air return to Lagos.

    Read Also: Still on the Ekiti Airport project

    The aircraft, he said landed safely at 08:06 local time.

    He said: “All the occupants disembarked with no injury.

    “The AIB team of safety investigators has commenced investigation.

    As the sole Agency mandated to undertake the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents, the Bureau wants the public to know that it would be open to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence or information that may assist in this investigation.

  • Driving indigenous carriers’ profitability

    The increasing failure rate of indigenous carriers is forcing airlines to think out of the box to avoid being listed among disappearing airlines. To reverse the trend, some airlines with half a decade of operational experience have embraced sustainability models, such as route scheduling/planning, fleet variety, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

     

    Aircraft fleet variety is increasingly becoming a strategy adopted by Nigerian carriers to keep their operations afloat.

    Fleet variety is a model adopted by an airline to have various brands of airplanes: Boeing, Embraer, Bombardier, Airbus, MacDonald Douglass, ATR, Fokker, Beecraft, Learjets, Hawker Siddley, among others, in its fleet.

    This is opposed to an arrangement called fleet commonality, where an airline uses the same airplane type – Boeing, Airbus or Embraer – in its fleet.

    Such a decision, experts say, is key for airlines, which are economic enablers moving passengers and cargo from one point to another.

    Airlines as key players in the logistics value chain are thinking out of the box on how to deploy suitable equipment in delivering on their mandate.

    To achieve this feat, operators are evolving models that meet the needs of airports and passengers to keep their airline profitable.

    Data from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) shows that out of the active scheduled airlines- Aero, Arik, Medview, Dana Air, First Nation Airways, Overland Airways, AZMAN Air and  Max Air, in the last five years, only Air Peace has embraced fleet variety as a strategy to keep its operations profitable.

    An official of the Authority confided in The Nation, that at the inception of the Air Peace on October 24, 2014, the airline seemed to have worked out an operational model of fleet variety to drive its profitability in the harsh business environment.

    Experts say the use of the right aircraft, route scheduling and planning remains key in keeping any carrier profitable.

    In the last decade, many airlines have kissed the dust because their managers failed to adopt models that would have achieved cost recovery.

    Former Secretary-General, African Airlines Association  (AFRAA), Mr Nick Fadugba, said carriers fail  because their owners failed to adopt the right strategies, which include wrong choice of equipment, over taxation by aeronautical authorities and failure by the owners to think out of the box.

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that Air Peace seems to have put its strategy on track when it designed the hub and spoke  model a few years ago. Hub and

    Spoke is an arrangement that allows airlines to serve fewer routes using few but suitable aircraft that allows for passenger connections. It helps airlines to improve the efficiency of their services.

    To achieve this feat, the carrier kicked off the “No City Left Behind initiative “to integrate cities across the country with low capacity aircraft.

    This model, experts say, is critical to connecting the entire country into the national air link to promote economic activities across the value chain.

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the carrier Allen Onyema said many Nigerian carriers failed because their managers do not understand the appropriate operational model that will enhance the efficiency of operations.

    He cited fleet variety and its management as a key factor in airline success.

    Experts say the growth trajectory of an airline could be attributed to its modest route expansion programme driven by passengers needs assessment.

    To drive the route expansion of the airline, Air Peace in September signed an agreement with United States aircraft manufacturer – Boeing Company for the acquisition of 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The reason for the new generation aircraft type was driven by its fuel economy and suitability for long and medium-haul flights.

    With the acquisition, the carrier became the first airline in West Africa to add the equipment to its fleet.

    Boeing Vice President, Sales for Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia & Africa, Marty Bentrott said: “Africa is a growing market for commercial airplanes and we are proud that airlines like Air Peace are selecting Boeing aircraft to be part of that growth,” adding: “This order reflects the strong demand that we are seeing for the 737 MAX as airlines choose the airplane’s superior performance and reliability.”

    The Sales Director, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (West and Central Africa), Mr. Larry Tolliver, said such strategy by an airline to get the right fleet for its operations was enough demonstration of understanding dynamics in the rapidly-changing market.

     

    Options for Boeing 737

    Max airplanes

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that the carrier opted for the Boeing 737-800 Max airplane because the equipment offers 130 to 230 seats and the ability to fly up to 3,850 nautical miles. Besides, the aircraft type will save the carrier more than 20 percent fuel costs compared to its single-aisle airplanes.

    “We are excited to add the 737 MAX to our fleet as we expand our network to offer more destinations and serve more passengers. The fuel efficiency and superior operating economics of the 737 MAX will ensure that the aircraft will play a major role in growing our business in the years to come,” Onyema said, adding that the MAX 8, in particular, offers airlines 13 more seats than its closest competitor, seven percent lower costs for each of those seats, and 300 miles more range.”

     

    Embraer to the rescue

    To confirm the airlines’ preference for variety, the firm many months ago signed an order for 10 Embraer regional jets, with purchase rights for 20 more jets.

    Onyema said the carrier will exercise its purchase rights for the 20 additional Embraer planes by the end of the year to expand its domestic and African routes.

    He said: “We need those Embraers; they’re very beautiful planes,” he said. “We may call up those rights very soon. There are so many places to serve in Nigeria, west and central Africa and down to the southern part of the continent.

    “It’s also great that we will be the first E2 operator on the African continent. We already have the ERJ145s in our fleet. So, we understand the high standards of Embraer products.”

    “Deliveries of the 10 E195-E2 planes will start next year and will be deployed to domestic, African and Southern European destinations.

    “We are operating a mixed fleet of 25 aircraft including Boeing 737s and 777 widebodies, Embraer ERJ145 regional jets and Dornier 328 planes. Air Peace plans to grow its fleet to 45 aircraft as the new Embraers join in 2020.”

    Read Also: Push for airlines’ ownership of airport

     

    Appraisal of  five years in  operations

    Investigations by The Nation in the last five of operations by Air Peace reveals that besides having the highest number of serviceable aircraft also has the highest number of flights.

    Data from NCAA shows that Air Peace last year flew not any fewer than three million passengers. The carrier, it learnt, would exceed the milestone in the year as some of its aircraft ferried out for offshore maintenance arrive the country.

    In a statement, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, said through effective deployment of a variety fleet, the carriers have altered the travel narrative.

    Olajide said: “In 2020, Air Peace projects it would more than double the number of passengers carried to about seven or eight million people as it introduces more long-haul services and gets deliveries of more aircraft.

     

    City pairs /Under-served airports

    To ensure every part of the country is linked by air, the carrier a few years ago launched its novel initiative christened: ‘No City is Left Behind’ to capture secondary airports not served by other carriers.

    This drive, experts say, has seen direct flight connections using medium-range equipment, such as the Embraer Regional Jets and Dornier Jets to cater to the needs of passengers on the Lagos-Abuja-Kebbi, Lagos-Akure, Lagos-Makurdi, Lagos-Asaba, Lagos-Benin, Lagos-Osubi, Lagos-Kano and Lagos- Sokoto routes.

    These routes network, experts say, has created a hub and spoke connection for the airline using suitable operating equipment.

    International aero: Politics /evacuation

    As Nigerians slug it out with foreign carriers, which have invaded its market carting away millions of dollars yearly in ticket sales, agitation remains rife on why the government should intervene by either reviewing the bilateral air services agreement it signed with many countries or at the least reduce multiple entry points into its market.

    Air Peace has, in the last five years, been calling on the government to empower indigenous carriers by getting more involved in international aero politics.

    The absence of a national carrier in the last one and a half decades exposed the underbelly of the industry in what role such airline could plan in times of national emergency.

    But, Air Peace rose to the occasion about two months ago, when its Onyema volunteered two Boeing 777- 500 to evacuate Nigerians trapped in xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

    The patriotic gesture by the carrier was  commended by the Federal and state governments and individuals as well as the National Assembly.

    Experts say the carrier was used an instrument of diplomacy.

     

    Regional /Intercontinental operations

    Though many indigenous carriers were designated on regional and international routes, many that activated the designation have since disappeared from the flight radar for several reasons. But, in the last five years, through the deployment of a variety fleet, and adequate planning, among others, Air Peace has maintained the lead in flights in the West African subregion.

    Besides, Accra in Ghana, Lome in Togo, Dakar in Senegal, Banjul in The Gambia, the carrier has remained consistent with its flight’s connections to boost trade, investment, and tourism in the sub-region.

    Only recently, the Republic of South Africa gave the nod to operate daily flights between Lagos and Johannesburg.

    Experts say the carrier, with its suitable variety of aircraft fleet, continues to stimulate competition on the Lagos-Dubai route with its operations into Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, a move calculated to break the dominance of the Gulf carriers – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airlines.

    It is believed that the airline’s foray into Dubai will be a forerunner for its proposed flight operations into London, India and New York.

     

    Clamour for Govt’s intervention

    Operators believe sufficient intervention by the government will assist indigenous carriers to develop the air transport sub-sector.

    They said reduction or harmonization of aeronautical charges would reduce the burden of operators, who, they said are faced with a myriad of challenges, which include an absence of local refining of aviation fuel, poor airport, and air communication facilities.

    Onyema said of the challenges: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for creating an enabling environment for the growth of aviation in Nigeria through waving customs duties on commercial aircraft, engines and spares as well as granting value-added tax (VAT) waiver.

    “Without these noble gestures from the government, airlines would not have been able to achieve this level of growth  growth.

    Indeed, if this tempo is sustained, then stakeholders are convinced that Air Peace will soon become what Emirates airline is to UAE to Nigeria.

  • NAMA sets up air navigation planning unit

    By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has created a National Air Navigation Planning unit, vested with the mandate to oversee the domestication and replication of ICAO global and regional plans for the enhancement of air navigation in the country.

     

    The new arrangements is in a bid to facilitate the development and implementation of a National Air Navigation Plan, National Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU) Plan, National Air Traffic Management Plan as well as other International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) new concepts .

     

    This is just as the agency recently concluded a one-week training for 20 critical personnel to run the newly created unit. The training which held at the headquarters of the agency in Lagos bordered on areas such as Global Air Navigation Plan and its priorities, Global Aviation Safety Plan, Global Aviation Security Plan, National Air Navigation Plan and the National Aviation System Block Upgrade Implementation Plan. Specifically, the training focused on ASBU Block 18 Modules some of which include Airport Collaborative Decision Making; Performance Based Navigation with Vertical Guidance; Continuous Descent Operations and Continuous Climb Operations. Others are Surface Movement Radar and Ground Control; Arrival and Departure Management Systems; Digital Aeronautical Information Management (AIM), System Wide Information Management, Flight Information Collaborative Environment, as well as the strategic objectives of the different modules, their applicability and cost benefit analysis.

    Rationalizing the training for the new unit, NAMA Director of Operations, Matthew Lawrence Pwajok who was a facilitator at the training said the job ahead of the team is “both strategic and critical as they would be researching to define future requirements of NAMA and airspace user requirements, in order to enhance airspace capacity, air traffic management capacity, efficiency and economy and safety of flight operations. If we must encourage traffic growth into our airspace, then we must develop strategic growth plans, be sensitive to airline equipment and their user requirements. We need not reinvent the wheel as ICAO has developed adequate strategies for the enhancement of capacity, safety, security, efficiency, etc. We must therefore domesticate these global plans into national plans for implementation in accordance with global, regional or national timelines and priorities,” Pwajok said.

    Read Also: NAMA requires N50 billion to fix, update airspace facilities

    He noted that the team will be required to work towards ensuring the effective implementation of the three major global plans of ICAO which are Global Air Navigation Plan, Global Aviation Safety Plan and Global Aviation Security Plan. According to him, “ICAO is drawing global attention to emerging challenges such as cyber threats or cyber security, therefore we must develop a security plan for our Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/ Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) facilities. If these systems are hacked, safety and security could be compromised. Thus, the air navigation planning team will work in collaboration with other agencies as the implementation of some of these ICAO concepts requires collaboration with sister agencies, the users, the military, NCAA, etc.”

    “The team will equally interrelate with some ICAO structures such as the Air Navigation Bureau (ANB), Technical Cooperation Bureau (TCB) and Air Transport Bureau (ATB), Regional Aviation Safety Group (RASG) and the AFI Planning and Implementation Regional Group (APIRG), the decision, resolution and conclusions of which impact on our services. We need a team that understands the workings of these ICAO bodies as they are the technical works of ICAO that affect us directly. Finally, the team will be expected to strategize and ensure active participation in ICAO activities, meetings, and workshops, thereby ensuring that NAMA becomes a key player in the affairs of the international body at the regional and global level,” he said.

  • Air Peace begins flight operations to Makurdi in November – Onyema

    The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema on Thursday said the airline would begin flight operations to Makurdi, Benue capital before the end of November.

    Onyema made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    The chairman said: “our flights to Benue will begin before the end of November because we have almost finalised preparations.

    “We are only waiting to receive another Embraer 145 Jet which we are using for such operations.’’

    NAN reports that Air Peace had on June 28, 2018 signed an agreement with the Benue State Government to operate flights to Makurdi.

    The Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace, Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, had said that the airline would deliver exceptional flight experience to residents of Benue and others travelling on the Makurdi route.

    Read Also: Why Air Peace chose to land in Sharjah Airport — Onyeama

    Olajide said the route would be serviced by an Embraer 145 jet, under Air Peace Hopper, the airline’s subsidiary and would terminate at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi.

    According to her, the operations will cover Abuja-Makurdi-Abuja and Lagos-Makurdi-Lagos.

    The Chief of Staff to Benue State Governor, Mr Terwase Obunde, had assured the airline of the government’s support to ensure its success on the route.

    (NAN)

  • ‘Flying Doctors’ bags IAG Accreditation

    Agency Report

    Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first Air Ambulance service, recently scored another first when it won the International Assistance Group, IAG, accreditation.

    Founded in 1992, the Paris, France based International Assistance Group, IAG is the world’s largest alliance of independent assistance companies and accredited providers.

    Its network specializes in worldwide roadside, medical, travel, corporate and home assistance for business and leisure travelers, expatriate workers and corporate clients.

    IAG’s operational network key strength lies with its stringent quality criteria in their respective markets.

    In a release signed by one of the medical directors of Flying Doctors and its second largest shareholder, Dr. Jibayo Oyedele, “the accreditation was approved after a thorough physical audit by an international team and strict vetting by the IAG board.

    “The aircrafts used by Flying Doctors are regulated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the team of doctors from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN. But the team felt that in addition to local regulation, they were ready to take the exciting step to pursue international accreditation,” he said.

    The IAG alliance offers affiliates the opportunity to cover more of the assistance market through close collaboration with other partners and providers in the network. As a result, a reliable, international network is established in which each company can enhance its competitiveness without sacrificing independence, while affiliates play the role of correspondents, exchanging assistance to position members for better business prospects.

    Read Also Aviation: Bridging gender imbalance

     

    With a network of partners and accredited service providers currently supporting over 118 million end users worldwide, IAG has recorded 5.6million cases, 623, 640 medical cases, 20, 649 medical repatriations, among many other strides.

    Flying Doctors Nigeria is strategically positioned to deliver custom made emergency healthcare to government, corporate clients and high end individuals and families. It operates from its head office in Lagos and another office in Port Harcourt.

    The core professional side of Flying Doctors comprises of high flying physicians led by Dr. Jibayo Oyedele, a senior acute medicine physician with over 30 years of medical practice. Before coming on board the Flying Doctors team, Dr Oyedele ran a family/acute medical facility for over 20 years.

    Dr. Ola Brown continues to work on the corporate side of the business, in the area of strategy, marketing, investment and growth. Working alongside the medical directors and the medical team that continue to pursue excellence with the overall goal of ensuring that no one in Africa dies because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time, Dr Brown’s managerial skill has ensured that the company has consistently remained on the path of growth.

    With the IAG accreditation, Flying Doctors Nigeria is poised to deploy efficient and qualitative innovations as it continues to blaze its pace setter trail in the air ambulance services sector.