The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Hajj 2019: Saudi introduces e-visa system

    Intending pilgrims to this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia will no longer have to undergo any physical screening in Saudi embassies.

    This is in line with the new e-visa system Saudi Arabian authorities have introduced to simplify visa processing for 2019 Hajj season.

    This was revealed in a statement released by Fatima Sanda Usara, head, Public Affairs Unit of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).

    “Under this arrangement, the intending pilgrim’s visa will spontaneously be administered upon completion of Hajj fare payment on the e-portal. The next move is for the visa applicant to proceed to a café to print out the visa document in wait for his/her scheduled flight for the pilgrimage,” the statement read.

    READ ALSO: 2019 Hajj: Civil Society constitutes committee to monitor Hadaya

    With respect to Nigerian pilgrims, the statements said, respective state pilgrims’ board will print out the visas on behalf of the pilgrims, adding that the “procedure has been stress-free thus far, with a considerable number of visas already processed.”

    Moreover, visas are administered within hours of making full payments, thereby creating a leeway for intending pilgrims to pay and get their visas within hours and well ahead of the deadline of July 15.

    NAHCON has however cautioned intending pilgrims to safeguard their slips, which is in paper form, along with other travel documents, to forestall its getting missing or destroyed.

    It warned that Saudi Arabian authorities will not honour entry of anyone with incomplete travel documents into the kingdom for the season.

  • Pilots decry state of airports’ runways, other facilities

    Nigerian pilots have raised the alarm over the poor state of runways in some airports. They are seeking urgent intervention from government agencies to avert accident.

    Measures, they said, should be taken to clear the runways of foreign object damage (FOD), including debris at the airside, which affects aircraft tyre types and other underbelly components.

    According to them, FOD was forcing airlines to loose millions of naira replacing aircraft tyres and other vital parts of their equipment.

    Besides the deplorable state of the runway at airports in Port Harcourt; Lagos and Abuja, government they said, should urgently look into the poor state of radio communication in the airspace.

    In separate interviews  Air Peace Chief Pilot,  Captain Victor Egonu; Med-View Airline Chief Pilot Captain Stephen Fevrier; Arik Air Safety Manager Captain Jide Bakare  and a retired pilot with the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited  Captain Prekeme Porbeni, said unless urgent steps are taken disaster was looming in the aviation industry.

    According to Egonu, runways at some airports, including Enugu, Port Harcourt and Lagos are death traps during the rainy season because their surface are not properly drained.

    He said pilots have continued to complain about the poor state of such facilities, which according to him, has been a big threat to air safety.

    Egonu said: “Pilots in Nigeria complain very often about the surface of Port Harcourt Airport runway that it is always waterlogged and does not drain properly whenever it rains to allow for smooth landing because there are depressions which allow water to collect.”

    “And if you fly into Enugu, it is so bad that Air traffic controllers have had to advise you that they are potholes and that stones jumping off could burst your tyres and pilots are usualy scared. We have airlines with torn tyres from this. At the Lagos airport runway 18L, we are now avoiding it whenever it rains because it doesn’t drain well and so we divert to land at runway 18R

    “And even in Abuja recently our aircraft had a burst trye from an object it picked up after landing on the runway and this is very dangerous because if you pick up something from the tyre on the runway as it was the case of the Concord aircraft it could ignite fire once it reclines and makes contact with the fuel tank.”

    He said airlines and pilots would appreciate if runways are constantly inspected by the relevant regulators to ensure that they are in line with standards that ensure safe flight operations.

    Also, according to Fevrier, the government should fix the poor state of air navigation equipment in the airspace, as it is making it unattractive to some pilots to use the nation’s airspace.

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), he said, should address the communication challenges being experienced by pilots to avert air accidents.

    He said: “I came to Nigeria about 12 years ago and the first thing that we were told to learn as pilots is to say break-break when you get into the airspace and that is because the airspace is congested. I must say that the airspace is still congested and unsafe for pilots to fly.”

    According to him, when flying from Lagos to Abuja pilots often lose contact with the Lagos control tower 200 miles into the airspace, which should not be the case.

    He lamented that the same situation occured between Port Harcourt and Abuja, adding that pilots hardly communicate effectively with the control tower in Kano when coming into Nigerian airspace from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    Read Also: Port Harcourt Airport reopens after Air Peace incident

    “In Kano, if you are coming from Jeddah to enter Nigerian airspace, you can’t speak to Kano. You have to wait until you get into an 100 miles into Kano most times.”

    “We really have communication issues in the Nigerian airspace and that needs to be addressed urgently.”

    Bakare on his part said the biggest issue pilots are grappling with is the problem of communication in the airspace. ”There are so many issues, but communication is one of the biggest challenges that we face as pilots in Nigerian airspace,” he said.

    To Porbeni, it was not enough for government to initiate interventions to bridge gaps in air communication infrastructure, there should be outright elimination of such challenges in air navigation.

    He wondered why the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) that NAMA bragged about was not working. ”Pilots in recent times are undergoing serious challenges bordering on poor communication while flying in the Nigerian airspace.

    “This is affecting the safety rating of our country compared with other nations around us, which have upgraded their systems in terms of air communication infrastructure,” he said.

    He continued: “Repeatedly we kept on hearing the word; we have Total Radar Coverage. The answer is absolutely no. it is because any aeroplane or airborne machine flying in the Nigerian airspace can be detected, but there is lack of communication between the pilots in the airspace and the Air Traffic Controllers at the towers.”

    Meanwhile, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu said the agency has commenced an intensive re-assessment of runways at the nation’s airports to forestall the potential accidents on the runways.

    “It is, therefore, with the intention to increase the friction coefficient levels of our runways in accordance with NCAA advisory circular that the Authority is embarking on this exercise across the nation’s airports as the rain is becoming very heavy and unpredictable,” Yakubu said.

    She explained that although, the regular friction measurement for Port Harcourt International Airport was conducted in March 2019 and the result fell within the minimum friction coefficient level, the airport however, still witnessed a skidding incident recently by an Air Peace aircraft. “As a short term measure to increase the safety of the Port Harcourt runway, the Authority just carried out a de- rubberisation exercise between June 15 to 22 , 2019 to remove any contaminant,” Yakubu added.

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has assured airlines and other airspace users that the nation’s airspace is safe for seamless and economic air navigation. Its Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu made these remarks while receiving the Chief Operating Officer of the newly established Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, who led a delegation to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos. He explained that the agency had taken drastic steps to tackle communication challenges, especially in the upper airspace in the past couple of years, saying that significant progress was being made in that direction.

    Akinkuotu said NAMA has seen to the upgrading of communication infrastructure in phases. According to him, radio communication in the ground control, covering 65 nautical miles at the 32 air traffic control units in Nigerian airports is perfect and this was done under phase one of the project.

    He added that the second phase, which is the tower control, also covering 65 nautical miles and critical for landing and takeoff, is perfectly working in all the 32 airports in the country. The third phase, which he referred to as “approach communication”, covering up to 130 nautical miles, is working perfectly in all the 32 air traffic control units in the country.

    Akinkuotu admitted that although the last phase, which is the Area Control or Upper Airspace Communication, may have a few challenges, attributing them to the creation of new routes. Concerted efforts, he said, are being made to address these challenges. One of efforts was the deployment of the Total VHF Coverage of Nigeria in 2010, which he said was limited by the architecture of 8 VHF remote radio stations deployed then. He added that the agency has just taken delivery of Extended Range VHF radio systems to replace old the radios in eight remote sites while six more are to be added, making them 14.

    “There is also the deployment of 54 VSAT nodes, in the Aeronautical Information Services Automation project. This project has lingered through all the regimes in NAMA, but we are currently making efforts to see to the final takeoff of the automation project, which we believe would boost our communication system,” Akinkuotu said.

    The NAMA boss said in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation System Block Upgrade (ASBU), which stipulates that Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) provide alternative means of communication, the agency in 2015 deployed the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract/Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (ADS-C/CPDLC) in Kano and Lagos Area Control Centres (ACCs) to decongest radio frequency, adding that the facility has been up and running in the entire airspace.

    In addition to the above, Akinkuotu said “the high-powered very high frequency (VHF) Jotron radios, installed at Lagos and Kano, were recently commissioned by the former Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who tested them with a British Airways pilot who replied him with 5/5, meaning: “excellent” and this facility is available and serviceable.

  • Medview reintroduces three aircraft for steady operation

    Medview Airline is stepping up its game to consolidate its position as one of the leading operators the country, its Managing Director Chief Executive Officer, Munner Bankole, has said.

    Part of the strategy to regain its position, Bankole said, is the re- introduction of three aircraft into its fleet to boost its domestic operations.

    The airline, he said, had secured credit facilities from a financial institution to undertake the maintenance of one of its aircraft at Aero maintenance base in Lagos.

    Besides fixing of the aircraft, Bankole said other airplanes undergoing major maintenance in Israel and Estonia would soon be on ground in Lagos.

    He said: “Medview airline is one of the airlines approved by the Federal Government for hajj operations. We have 17 states and we have covered 15, we signed a contract to airlift a lot of pilgrims for 2019. We got a loan from First bank so, we got the B777-200 aircraft for the company. The aircraft would be used to commence hajj operations in Kaduna by July 10 and we have a total of 10,600 pilgrims from Kaduna, we expect a turnaround in 2019.”

    On domestic operations, Bankole said: “We have three classic aircraft, which are all due for C-check at the same time. One was in Israel, another was in Estonia and third was flying, but we got the money from the bank to put the second aircraft to use and so, it has been taken to Aero Maintenance base, I assure you that the third aircraft would soon be on ground because domestic operations is our major market, we promise to do more than expected.

    He continued: “Expect a beautiful operations when the three aircraft would be fully operational soon and each aircraft would be yielding about N376 million in a month. We also assured you that we will not lease aircraft, therefore, we are working with a strategic partner in order to get a new aircraft into our fleet. Fifty cabin crew have already completed their recurrent training while 10 workers have been recalled to join the training in preparation for operations.”

    Bankole, who disclosed that Medview has signed an agreement with Ethiopian Airline on maintenance of its B777 aircraft, explained that the company has disposed one of its aircraft because of huge maintenance cost.

    “The management took a decisive response and disposed the aircraft for the benefit of the company. As I have always stated, the Board and management are continually seeking to achieved the best growth for the company and Medview is firmly on the path to improved performance, sustained growth, profitability and adequate returns to all stakeholders within the shortest possible period of time,” he said.

  • JUST IN: Controversy rocks recruitment of aerodrome safety, security personnel in FAAN

    Attempt by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to close gaps in its personnel requirement in the aerodrome fire rescue and safety as well as Aviation Security Units has run into a hitch following raging controversies over the exercise.

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE)on Monday condemned the recruitment by FAAN into the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services aviation security departments in the authority.

    The union in a petition to the Managing Director of FAAN signed by its Secretary General Comrade Ocheme Abah dated June 28, 2019 raised an alarm over what it called scandalised level of disconnection from the
    public civil service rules and disregard for technical, safety and security requirements.

    NUATE noted that the catchment areas provision in the civil service rule for lower cadre employees has been
    completely jettisoned while maximum age requirement for recruitment was thrown overboard as well as
    technical and physical fitness.

    NUATE expressed fear that strides achieved over the years in the aviation sector will be rubbished by this
    unpatriotic and diabolical aims being foisted on by vested interest.

    The union called for an immediate halt into the recruitment exercise in FAAN to allow for a review to
    bring sanity to the system.

    Investigation revealed that the recruitment was marred by irregularities as politicians hijacked the exercise by
    forcing on the agency more than half of people that turned out for the exercise.

    Some stakeholders queried the choice of Kaduna for the recruitment exercise.

    Other unions in the industry are to meet during the week to decide on their next line of action on the
    matter.

    The Nation learnt that the over 300 hundred persons shortlisted by the authority to close existing gaps are getting curious over alleged attempts by the Ministry of Aviation to supplants names from a section of the country on the alleged orders of officials of the Aviation Ministry.

    Sources hinted that some forces loyal to the Ministry have supplanted the names of candidates with their people after the original candidates complete ongoing training in Kaduna to ascertain their fitness for the job.

    The Ministry it was learnt had positioned some candidates for the job, in a move suspected to be a usurpation of the responsibilities of FAAN.

    Aviation stakeholders and unions, it was learnt are already kicking over the exercise because they alleged it is skewed against the interest of qualified candidates.

    They alleged that qualifying for the training in Kaduna was not a criteria for getting the job.

    They alleged that the Ministry had pulled many candidates from different organizations, especially people from a section of the country into the training to push for their qualification.

    Experts say recruitment into sensitive units in aviation including; aerodrome safety and fire fighting unit, as well as aviation security, should be based on carrying out background checks on the would be candidates rather than filling the list with people from certain parts of the country.

    Officials of FAAN declined to comment on the matter.

    Read Also: FAAN hails Uguwanyi on airport security

    In a Short Message Service (SMS), the official said: ‘ I cannot comment on this matter.”

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that the current management of the airport authority is reluctant to exert its influence, because of the over-reaching influence of people close to the Ministry.

    FAAN in 2017 commissioned 107 Aviation Security(AVSEC) and 109 Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS).

    The personnel recruited were expected to complement security at the airports and beef up the capacity of the fire fighting arm of the agency.

    A few years ago, an official of FAAN said the authority needed over 1,000 additional aviation security and aerodrome rescue fire fighting unit to block the gap created with the retirement of ageing workforce.

  • IATA: infrastructure, funds, others frustrate Africa’s aviation

    Airport infrastructure in most African countries is outdated and not built to serve the growing volume of passengers or cargoes, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said at the weekend.

    The body also lamented that carriers and airports are often managed by government entities or regulatory bodies, a development that has impeded the inflow of foreign investments into the sector.  It said modernising infrastructure and operations requires both investment and expertise, ideally from public-private partnerships (PPPs). Africa needs to open its doors for private capital investment, it added.

    IATA, however, said intra-African trade will grow from less than 12 per cent in 2013 to about 50 per cent by 2045, while global trade will rise from two per cent to 12 per cent.

    Its Regional Vice-President, Muhammed Ali Albakri, said over the next 20 years, demand for air transport is expected to double, with a 4.6 per cent annual growth – the second fastest of all IATA regions.

    This, he said translates to an extra 199million passenger journeys per year in 2037 for a total market of 334 million passengers with cargo volumes also expected to double over the next 20 years.

    According to him, aviation also plays a central role in achieving 15 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN).

    He lauded Ghana for including aviation as part of its National Development Plans under its UNSDG Action Plan, one of the few countries on the continent to so do.

    He urged others to follow given the immense benefits that aviation can contribute to economic growth, development and job creation.

    Read also: NAMA seeks IATA collaboration on training

    He stated that it is evident that aviation in Africa has the potential to fuel trade and economic growth, but lamented that several barriers such as weak and costly infrastructure, high ticket prices, poor intra-Africa connectivity and a proliferation of taxes and charges exist and have done incalculable setback to the continent’s aviation sector.

    Countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda are heeding this call and making strategic bets in the sector while employing best practices to drive vibrant aviation growth.

    On interconnectivity, stakeholders have decried the cumbersome nature of travelling within Africa which makes air travel very expensive and difficult to move around because of poor connectivity.

    To bridge the gap, the Single African Air Transport Market introduced earlier this year aims to open up Africa’s skies and improve intra-African air connectivity has not totally succeeded.

    So far, 28 out of 54African countries have signed up. The movement is promising and will be more effective once all African countries come on-board they said.

    To resolve all the issues, the IATA chief said the continent must ensure a strong dialogue and partnership between government and the aviation industry, ‘If we are to deliver the economic and social benefits to our citizens’.

     

     

  • NCAA warns pilots, airlines against thunderstorms

    The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday warned pilots and airline operators to exercise caution during flight operations as the rainy season sets in because of thunderstorms.

    Spokesman of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, in a statement, warned that the rainy season, prevalent in the Southern and Northern parts of the country was usually accompanied by thunderstorms which could impact the safety of flight operations.

    He said there were many other hazardous weather occurrences such as turbulence, micro-burst or low-level wind-shear and occasional hail events, which are bound to affect air navigation.

    He said the NCAA has directed all pilots to exercise restraint whenever adverse weather is observed or forecast by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

    Adurogboye said it has become mandatory for pilots and flight crew to obtain adequate, en route and destination weather information and briefing from NiMET Aerodrome Meteorological offices before flight operations.

  • Leveraging local carriers for economic growth

    Indigenous carriers are carving a niche for themselves in air transportation. But, they are grappling with the challenges of harsh government policies, inclement business climate, multiple aeronautical and airport charges, among others. To stakeholders, friendlier policies could stimulate their growth, writes KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR.

    Nigeria is losing in the global drive to position air transportation as enablers of economic development.

    Reason? The local industry is yet to key into the global call for the harmonisation of aeronautical charges, pursuit of operator friendly tariff, lack of functional airports that are both airlines’ and passenger friendly, among others.

    For these and other reasons, the country is yet to benefit from the  benefits derivable from the sector, where countries are pursuing aggressive airports and air navigation infrastructure revolution and other interventions critical to exponential development of air transportation.

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been calling on the government to look into the challenges and complaints by indigenous carriers that would bring about lower airport charges, improved logistics for fuel supply, concession of airports and other issues.

    Worried about the trend, a coalition of international organisations: IATA; Airports Council International (ACI); International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO); African Airlines Association (AFRAA), have launched a study to unravel why carriers in Nigeria have short lifespan. This is because in the last 20 years, not less that 20 airlines have appeared and disappeared from the scene.

    The collapsed carriers include  Nigeria Airways, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Okada Ai, Space World International Airlines, DASAB Airlines, Bellview Airlines, Chanchangi Airlines, IRS Airlines, Air Mid West, Afrijet Airlines, Capital Airlines, Associated Aviation, NiCON Airways, Freedom Air Services,Trans Sahara Airlines, Skykine Airlines, and Albarka Air Services.

    The coalition is looking at ways to proffer solutions that would guarantee the sustainability of domestic carrier in the country while hoping to position them as catalyst of economic growth.

    Notwithstanding the increasing passenger traffic in the last two years, domestic airlines are still finding it difficult to survive.

    According to figures released by the Consumer Protection Directorate of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) last year, no fewer than 14.2 million air travellers were recorded. This represents a 20.8 percent increase over the previous year’s figures, which stood at 11.2 million passengers.

    A breakdown of these figures futher reveal that though there are 34 airlines (both foreign and domestic) flying in the country, of the passenger figures for last year, nine indigenous carriers account for 10.09 million passengers, leaving carriers on international routes with 4.08 million passengers.

    This record, stakeholders said, represent the impressive exploits of local operators irrespective of the harsh and unfriendly business climate they are operating in.                 These figures gives the NCAA Director-General, Captain Mukthar Usman, the confidence to say that  though the operating environment may be harsh, the increase in passenger traffic could be described as a good return on investment for committed local operators.

    Interventions in the midst of challenges

    Despite interventions by the government to assist indigenous carriers come out of the woods, the sector has drawn global attention in the last decade following unsavoury developments involving airlines.

    Some indigenous carriers, including Medview Airlines,which shown signs of great potential in the acquisition of modern aircraft- Boeing 777, with support from FirstBank of Nigeria Limited and foreign partners for its Hajj operation as well as revival of its truncated London and Dubai operations continue to slide.

    The airline has, however, swallowed the bitter pills of the choking effects of the operating environment, forcing it to scale down its operations and workforce.

    Besides Medview Airlines, other carriers, including Aero Contractors and Arik Air, continue to undergo surgery through intervention from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to keep them afloat after take over.

    The two carriers have witnessed depletion of their fleet and scaling down of operations on some of their routes.

    Arik Air, on its part, following its take-over by the AMCON in February 2017 and injection of N1 billion, is showing signs of stability, but not recovery. Besides paying salaries and meeting basic obligations, about nine out of the 30 aircraft owned by Arik returned to operation, sustaining both local and regional operations.

    Air Peace, however, remains the most stable of the airlines and it is not by accident that the airline accounts for about 40 per cent of the last year’s total passengers on the local front.

    Indeed, the airline led the way with an unprecedented investment in aircraft in its bid to make a strong case for Nigerian flag carriers on regional and international skies, even as “no city is left behind” on the home front.

    To this effect, the airline recently placed an order for 10 brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft.The order comprises purchase rights for another 20 E195-E2 jets. Also, 124-seater jet in dual class and 146-seater jet in single class configurations. With all purchase rights exercised, the contract is worth N640.5 billion ($2.12 billion) based on list prices.

    The carrier also set a regional record last September, when it ordered 10 brand new aircraft from Boeing, increasing its fleet size then to about 37 aircraft. With the new order, Air Peace’s fleet size has increased to 67 aircraft.

    Air Peace had earlier set a domestic record as the first Nigerian airline to acquire and register the Boeing 777 aircraft in the country. Three of the four wide-body aircraft it acquired for its long-haul  to Dubai, Sharjah, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai have so far been delivered.

    Industry stakeholders, though marveled at the unparalleled investment in capacity, are optimistic that the 14 million passenger record may as well double in a year, when at least half of Air Peace new orders join the operating fleet. But, the worry is the systemic hurdles that will shackle the enormous potential and attendant benefit.

    Multiple taxes and charges

    According to the airlines, sundry charges, under the guise of taxes and levies at airports nationwide, account for at least 65 per cent of revenue accruing to them. Besides the five per cent charge on every ticket bought by passengers, which goes to all the five regulatory agencies, there are other “illegal” charges on the operators.

    They include the second popular five per cent Cargo Sales Charge, five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT), Passenger Service Charge of N1, 000 per ticket on local route, Charter Sales Charge, Aircraft Inspection Fees, Simulator Inspection Fees, Landing Charges, Parking Charges and Terminal Navigational Charge. Others are Enroute Charge, Fuel Surcharge, Airport Space Rent, Electricity charges, Apron Pass, ODC, Registration Fee, Service Recovery Charge, Processing Fee, Avio Bridge, Aircraft Registration and Processing Fee.

    The airlines also pay Toll Gate Fee, VIP Lounge, Trolley Service, Clearance Fee, Check-In Counter Charge, Courier/Tarmac/Pre-Release charges, Import Charge (Dom), Export Charge (Dom), Import Royalty, Export Royalty, Ports Charge, Exports Charge, Transhipment, and Concession Fee.

    Together, these charges eat deep into earnings leaving the airlines with less than N10,000 on a passenger ticket sold at an average price of N30,000.

    Air Peace Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema recently said if this regime of taxation is not removed, no airline will survive.

    Onyema said though the charges had been in the system for long and some of them as fallouts of legislations, it was high time they were reviewed to ease the burden on commercial airlines.

    He said: “Let even the government raise a consulting firm to go round the country to find out why airlines have been dropping off. Heavy taxation is part of it. We are suffering.

    “Air Peace supports payment of taxes to government; no government runs without the citizens paying tax. Airlines must pay their taxes. What we are asking is for these taxes to be streamlined in such a way that it will help us to help the government and help the country.

    “Commercial airlines are a catalyst to economic development in any country. That is why every country supports its airlines. We are not asking for any financial assistance but for an enabling environment that makes things work. It is not complimentary for us as a country that all our airlines are dying.”

    Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) Chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison observed that over 50 indigenous airlines have existed in the country in the last 18 years, but only nine are flying at the moment.

    “The mortality rate of airlines in Nigeria is high. The owners of the defunct airlines have all been success stories in other business endeavours except in aviation.

    “Could all of them have been responsible for the failure of their airlines? The answer is no! Rather, the unfriendly policies and harsh operating environment have been the bane of aviation sector’s growth in Nigeria.

    “We are mindful that if these issues and policies are not addressed urgently, the remaining airlines run the risk of becoming defunct in no time,” Meggison said.

    Regulate to safety, survival not extinction

    Aviation rules and regulations are binding, and it must be implemented to the letter. But making it antagonistic by tightening the noose for the sake of it will not help anyone, but erode confidence and hurt the industry.

    National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) President Bernard Bankole said the airlines and other stakeholders have a lot to gain working in harmony and with a policy direction for growth and mutual benefit.

    Bankole said Nigeria should take a cue from countries, such as Ghana, that are creating the enabling environment for aviation to thrive.

    He said: “Today, a lot of airlines still prefer to go to Ghana for fuelling or to make repairs. Why? Because they have made available the processes and infrastructure for the comfort of any airline that is coming to their country.

    “I can say to you categorically that it is not possible for Airbus A380 aircraft to land in Nigeria. Even if they want to, we don’t have the infrastructure. That is one of the biggest aircraft in the world. But this same aircraft landed in Ghana.

    “”What makes Ghana better of than us? This is not about politics; it is about doing the right thing. We have the capacity to do the right things; we just choose not to do them.

    “There are a lot of things we can tap into. If the plan is to have Nigeria Air as our national carrier and it is not working out yet, are we saying there are no alternative plans to improve the sector?

    “In what way have we supported the local airlines? Because the same problems facing the local airlines also lie in wait for the Nigeria Air and it will kill it within a short period. So, it will be just another white elephant project. It is high time we wake up from our sleep and understand that the aviation industry is a sensitive one that requires the government’s full attention.

    “Because it is the fastest and safest means of moving from point A to point B. More so, when foreigners come into your country that is the first port of entry that showcases your worth as a nation.”

    A call to mutual benefit

    It is in this light that airlines like Air Peace are quite central both to the industry and the economy at large. They need the support to remain in operations and succeed.

    With about 30 aircraft in its fleet, Air Peace alone has staff of over 4000 workers – which more than triple the entire Nigeria-based employees of all 35 foreign carriers plying the Nigerian route.

    Gradual expansion of its fleet with the arrival of new aircraft will also expand the workforce to about 10,000 direct staffers and more than 50,000 in the auxiliary category.

    A more stifling operating environment will not only affect jobs, but connectivity of over 14 million passengers that currently travel the entire network in a year.

  • NCAA investigates helicopter’s highway landing

    Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said on Tuesday that is has begun investigation into the circumstances that forced an helicopter belong to Tropical Arctic Logistics Limited to initiate an unscheduled diversion and land on the Lagos – Benin Expressway around Ore, in Ondo State.

    Its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye disclosed this in a statement.

    The NCAA said its investigation was sequel to a video, which had gone viral on social media.

    NCAA said the pilot of the chopper was compelled to land between Benin and Ore in an unscheduled diversion to pick up someone.

    The statement reads :” The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is fully aware of the viral video of the Helicopter that landed on the highway.

    “Initial reports indicate that the Helicopter is owned by Tropical Arctic Logistics Ltd. With registration number 5N – BVQ and aircraft type AW139.

    “The Pilot was compelled to land between Benin and Ore in an unscheduled diversion to pick up someone.

    “NCAA has commenced full scale investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the unscheduled diversion.

    As soon as the investigation is concluded, the outcome will be made public.”

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency ( NAMA) is yet to confirm if the pilot got clearance to land on the highway.

    The development, has , however, sparked a huge debate in the sector.

    READ ALSO: NCC reports NCAA to ONSA over threat to demolish telecoms towers

    Speaking on the development, industry critic and security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu ( rtd) said only NAMA could say if the chopper got clearance to land or not.

    Ojikutu said :” This incident happened on the busy express road in a country supposedly to have lifted or rescued a very important person out of a dangerous area.

    “It appears to me that nobody is looking at the security implications in the midst of insecurity.

    Not even the NCAA and NAMA have come out whether the chopper was duly cleared. This is is very dangerous trend that needs immediate investigation .”

    Also speaking, former general secretary of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Comrade Olayinka Abioye said the controversy surrounding the chopper was becoming clearer.

    According to him, ” A billionaire gentleman hired the chopper to enable him fast track his journey . Appropriate clearance was sought by the company and there was no issue. In the course of the air lift , the man saw someone who knew him or vice versa and asked the lady to join him on the flight.

  • AIB to retrieve flight recorders of Air Peace aircraft

    LESS than 24 hours after a Boeing 737-500 aircraft belonging to Air Peace skidded off the runway at Port Harcourt International Airport, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has said its investigators will retrieve the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) to ascertain the circumstances leading to the accident.

    This followed the visit of the investigators to the site of the accident.

    AIB spokesman Tunji Oketunmbi stated this yesterday in a telephone interview with The Nation.

    Oketunmbi said the AIB team of investigators will also interview Air Peace crew and other personnel to enable the agency get first-hand information about the circumstances that led to the accident.

    The spokesman said the AIB had also carried out site assessment on the aircraft to obtain relevant details critical to the probe of the accident.

    Read Also: AIB launches probe as Air Peace plane skids off PH runway

    He said its personnel would also interface with officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to obtain relevant documents about the aircraft and the crew that operated the flight.

    According to him, the AIB has only done a preliminary investigation, as the major investigation into the cause of the accident had not begun.

    Also, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has removed the aircraft from the bush, some metres from the runway, for normal flight operations to continue at the airport.

    FAAN’s spokesperson, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, stated this in a statement.

    She said: “The Air Peace aircraft that overshot the runway in Port Harcourt International Airport has been removed.

    “The removal was facilitated by personnel of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc and Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company.”

    “The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), which issued a Notice To Airmen (NOTAM), declaring the airport closed, has confirmed its re-opening for normal flights.”

     

  • AIB launches probe as Air Peace plane skids off PH runway

    AN Air Peace Flight P47291 from Abuja yesterday skidded off the runway at the Port Harcourt Airport, Omagwa, while landing. The situation was due to a downpour.

    However, there was no casualty in the incident which occurred at 3.42 p.m.

    Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), confirmed the incident.

    Yakubu said although the Boeing 737-500 aircraft skidded off the runway, the pilot was able to control its drift.

    She also said that in spite of the rain, the undercarriage of the aircraft did not sink into the soil.

    “All passengers disembarked successfully. There was no casualty, “Yakubu said.

    The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide, attributed the incident to the flooding of the runway.

    Read also: Breaking: Accident Investigation Bureau begins probe of Air Peace accident

    Olajide said: “We confirm that Air Peace Flight P47291 Abuja-Port Harcourt had a runway excursion upon landing at the Port Harcourt International Airport on June 22 due to downpour.

    ”Our professional crew quickly recovered within seconds of the incident and the aircraft was successfully normalised.

    “Our esteemed passengers on board the flight were calm during the incident and disembarked normally.

    “Our teams of experts and the authorities are currently reviewing the incident and we will give our cooperation for a thorough exercise.

    “We apologise to our esteemed passengers for the inconvenience caused them and wish to assure them that we will continue to prioritise their safety in all our operations.”

    The affected aircraft has been granted for inspection by the aviation authorities.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said the runway of Port Harcourt Airport has been cleared by the authority for normal flight operations after an Air Peace aircraft overshot it and skidded into the bush.

    In a statement on yesterday, FAAN spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said: “An Air Peace aircraft marked with registration number:  5N BRN, flying from Abuja to Port Harcourt today, skidded off the Port Harcourt International Airport runway at about 1500hours.

    “The incident occurred during heavy downpour at the airport.  “There were no casualties, however, as all 87 passengers and six crew members on board the flight were safely evacuated.

    “The runway is already being cleared by the Authority so that normal flight operations can continue.”