The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Emirates invests $3.9b in aircraft acquisition

    Emirates Group has invested over $3.9billion in the acquisition of new airplanes, equipment, companies, modern facilities, latest technology and staff initiative between 2018 and 2019, its Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum has said.

    Al Maktoun said the investment was a significant increase over last year’s where the group spent over $2.5 billion

    He spoke in an online interview where the group released its 2018 – 2019 Annual Report, representing the 31st consecutive year of profit and steady business expansion.

    According to Al Maktoun, the group posted a profit of $631 million for the financial year that ended March 31, 2019. The figure according to him, was 44 per cent lower than last year profit.

    Al Maktoum said: “2018-19 has been tough, and our performance was not as strong as we would have liked. Higher oil prices and the strengthened US dollar eroded our earnings, even as competition intensified in our key markets. The uptick in global airfreight demand from the previous year appears to have gone into reverse gear, and we also saw travel demand weaken, particularly in our region, impacting both dnata and Emirates.

    “Every business cycle is different, and we continue to work smart and hard to tackle the challenges and take advantage of opportunities. Our goal has always been to build a profitable, sustainable, and responsible business based in Dubai, and these principles continue to guide our decisions and investments. In 2018-19, Emirates and dnata delivered our 31st consecutive year of profit, recorded growth across the business, and invested in initiatives and infrastructure that will secure our future success.

    “In February, Emirates announced a commitment for 40 Airbus 330-900s and 30 Airbus 350-900s worth US$ 21.4 billion at list prices in an agreement signed with Airbus, to be delivered from 2021 and 2024. ‘’

  • NAMA chief to unions: embrace peace

    Industrial unions and professional associations  have been urged to sustain the harmony in the sector by embracing peaceful  engagement with their management.

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Managing Director Capt. Fola Akinkuotu gave this charge at an interactive session with  unions and representatives of professional bodies at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

    He said the call became necessary as “no organisation can thrive in an atmosphere of rancour and disharmony.

    Capt. Akinkuotu praised the unions for their cooperation  to his administration. He urged them to communicate with management on any issues requiring attention.

    “There were many instances where the boat could have been rocked but the unions or associations came together and we were able to resolve the issue or reached some kind of consensus and it has worked well for us,” he said.

    The NAMA boss cautioned staff members over unnecessary and frivolous expenditure, such as “incurring duty tour allowances (DTA) for flimsy reasons,” saying that  they  should apply moderation and minimize wastage to enable the agency channel its resources towards more meaningful ventures.

    Read Also: How we brought peace, security to Oyo- Ajimobi

    Akinkuotu  decried the indebtedness of state aerodromes to the agency, noting that efforts were being made to prevail on defaulting state governments to pay.

    On the condition of service, among other entitlements to staff workers, the NAMA helmsman said NAMA management would ensure that approval was given by the government.

    He revealed that a meeting had been slated between NAMA management and relevant government agencies to hold before the end of the month  to resolve the issue.

    Earlier, the NAMA’s Director of Human Resources and Administration Maira Bashir said the forum was aimed at fostering harmony in the workplace.

    “Over the past two years, we have co-existed in harmony and it is our prayer that this relationship anchored on friendship, mutual respect and maturity shall continue to blossom,” Bashir said.

  • Arik Air adjusts schedule to cope with aircraft maintenance

    Arik Air said Monday that it is carrying out adjustment on its scheduled operations to cope with the exigencies of its aircraft that are on mandatory maintenance.

    The airline said its fleet has witnessed a reduction in number in the last two weeks due to the fact that some aircraft have been flown overseas to Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) in Europe. The airline said that in order to maintain schedule integrity and ensure flights depart on time, it had to cut down on the number of flights operated daily.

    The airline further stated that as a safety conscious airline, it takes aircraft maintenance very seriously. It, however, assures its customers that the aircraft will start returning from maintenance in the next few days while scheduled operations will be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

    Read also: ‘Govt’s intervention in Arik, Aero kept over 3, 000 jobs’

    The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu elaborated: “We regret any inconveniences that our customers may suffer due to this schedule adjustment. We are almost done with the checks and our customers will start seeing the effect with improved services.”

    The airline appealed to its customers to bear with it at this period while assuring that their safety and comfort will not be compromised.

  • How to make airports effective, by experts

    Should the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) be unbundled? Yes, say experts, who gathered at the Airport Business Summit and Expo Africa to examine the issue during a summit. Other options on the table are privatisation, commercialisation and concession, KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR reports.

    How to make airports effective and safe in Africa is becoming an interesting subject whenever experts and players gather to examine global trends in airport management.

    International aviation bodies including: International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Airports Council International (ACI) and International Air Transport Organisation (IATA) say global attention has been on Africa and Nigeria in particular, because it is becoming an investments’ frontier.

    With airports playing critical role in air transport infrastructure, especially by  attracting economic prosperity to their domains, a global campaign is ongoing by African governments to invest more in their airports.

    To attract carriers, airports must be run effectively. They should charge minimum aeronautical charges in line with the global template.

    Africa has 731 airports and 419 airlines in a global industry where aviation supports about seven million jobs, generating over $80billion economic activities.

    It is for these reasons that experts continue to canvass models of running airport economies in Africa, insisting that players think out of the box to consider ways and means of steering the industry onto the path of growth.

    To them, air transport services consolidation must be built on a strong base, utilising the best options to optimise both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue sources to propel growth.

    Though consensus is building on the desirability of airports in every corner across Africa as economic enablers, the model to be adopted to run such social infrastructure has pitched experts against one another.

    Are airports built for profits or mere catalysts to drive socio – economic activities?  Are they stand-alone social infrastructure or projects meant to grow the gross domestic product of the economies in their domain? Are airports run as private or public investments?

    These are some of the issues on the table last week, when experts met at the Airport Business Summit and Expo Africa (ABSE) in Lagos to examine models for airports in the continent.

    To them, the increase in Africa air traffic has been consistent with increase of passenger traffic growth rates of 6. 3 per cent between 2016 and 2017 and 9. 9 per cent between 2017 and 2018. According to Summit statistics, projected growth for passenger traffic in Africa is expected to continue through 2035 on the average of 4.3 per cent annually. The statistics said more people will travel in and out of Africa with inter-regional traffic expected to improve significantly.

    Setting the tone for discussions, the organiser of the summit, Mr Fortune Idu, said ABSE as a multi-sector event drew participants from industries with direct and indirect dealings with airports in the value chain, not limited to airlines; retail; security; safety; technology, hotels and others.

    He said the summit was critical as an important connector that will help airports’ operators make their cities and terminals attractive for airlines and investors by showcasing a one-stop information portal for passenger projections and facilities.

    Idu said the summit created a platform to assist operators, investors and the airport business community to find a common ground for prosperity.

    He said: “ The gap between operational cost of most regional airports and the revenue is very small, making the burden of concession and incentives huge. However, all other sub sectors within this chain look up to the airport to be the driving force for cost reduction, which will translate to a more affordable fare and increase in patronage. This expectation is real and the airport must address it by increasing its capacity to earn more and save more by providing efficient services management and operations.”

    Models for running Airports in Nigeria

    According to Idu, the current Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) structure  is too large to achieve efficient running of airports.

    With over 26 airports under its management, FAAN, he said cannot deliver because it was handling more than what it has the capacity to undertake.

    He canvassed FAAN’s unbundling into three entities, which he listed to include: Airport Development Authority; Airport Management Company and Federal Airports Property Company Limited.

    Idu said such model was already in place in other countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Egypt and others in Africa.

    The Airport Development Authority, Idu said, should have jurisdiction over security and airports’ regulation whereas the Airport Management Company should be strictly involved in the business of managing airports.

    Such entity, which should strictly busy itself with management of airport terminals, could be ambitious enough to consider managing airports in other African countries.

    The Federal Airports Property Company Limited, Idu said, should be saddled with managing all FAAN property.

    Such body, he said, will have business with management all airport land and the criteria for lease by concessionaires and other investors around the airport. If achieved, this model he said, will bring about right-sizing of existing personnel for capacity.

    A case for concession

    Speaking at the event, aviation consultant , Mr Chris Aligbe said the way forward to effective management of airports remains their concession.

    Aligbe said:”Government should consider airports concession option. Without exploring the option of concession, it could be difficult to expand the airports because of issues of resistance to change by aviation workers. In doing this, the government must consider how to address issues of labour .

    Govt’s position

    Minister of State, Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, had consistently reminded aviation stakeholders that there was no going back on government‘s plan to concession major international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt  and  Kano.

    He said the process for their concession had been concluded, but he failed to mention the international firms that won the bid to concession the terminals.

    This development has continued to raise doubts among industry players and watchers.

    Contradictions

    The government, however, seemed to have contradicted itself when in one breath it said some airports have been concessioned, and it is still investing in their upgrade and expansion.

    El- Mansur Atelier Group Chief Executive Officer, Tunde Oyekola, said despite the misgivings on how airports are managed, some state governments are not looking back in their bid to have airports in their domain as economic enablers.

    He said increasing investments in airport terminals have made it difficult for the government to hand them over to private investors.

    Case for route/airport development

    A representative of Intels Group, Nuhu Adams, canvassed the setting up of route development department in FAAN.

    According to him, there was need for airlines, banks and government agencies to collaborate to deepen air transportation.

    He examined the role FAAN could play in deepening the process of  route development, adding that financial institutions could assist by developing funding models for airport infrastructure and other projects critical to aviation development.

    He queried banks for not pushing for aviation project financing, observing that banks are running away from financing airlines because of low returns , poor corporate governance ethics and other infractions by owners and investors in that sub sector.

    Idu said airports’ concession is the way to go if aviation workers could trust that it would not lead to job losses, adding that if the process was transparently carried out, it could lead to a win win situation for all players.

    Besides unbundling the current airport authority, Idu said the way the government was investing more funds in aviation infrastructure, could be difficult, if the same government could give up the airports for concession.

    Some experts argued that if airports are built as economic enablers, the whole idea of trying to make money out of them sounds may not be counter productive.

    They cited how the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport has helped to open up the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

    They made the case for states governments investment in airports to open their corridors to economic activity.

    Cargo development option

    An aviation consultant, Mr. Tayo Ojuri advocated the development of a comprehensive agro-air logistics policy to encourage investors in the air logistics business.

    He said the opportunities that abounded in agro air logistics were not harnessed by stakeholders.

    He observed that cargo airports must be properly developed with the requisite infrastructure to attract investors and most especially, the farmers in the agro commodities to grow the industry.

    According to him, awareness creation was important for prospective investors, especially the farmers to know the benefits derivable from the business.

    A case for ground handling

    Skyways Aviation Handling Company ( SAHCO) Plc Managing Director, Mr Basil Agboarumi said effective airports remained the key for players in the ground handling value chain.

    He said effectively run airports will serve as incentives for ground handling business, where operators do not need to bother about inadequate operating facilities.

    The SAHCO boss said it was time Nigerian airports ran effectively without the authorities subjecting ground handling companies to multiple audits.

    Besides the International Safety Ground Operations Audit ( ISAGO) carried out by IATA, operators Agboarumi said, are still subjected to other local audits by either FAAN or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    He said whatever option in airport management adopted in Nigeria, issues related to high aeronautical charges, multiple airport taxes and inadequate facilities should be addressed. “We have to pay through our noses, most of the time we pay a lot to be in business. Everybody is collecting money from ground handling companies. I don’t want to go into controversy, but it has become so bad that before you can even sneeze around the airport, you must pay, everybody is squeezing, squeezing, that’s is a problem, that’s is a challenge,” he said.

    He emphasised co-operation between ground handling and the airport authority, adding that updating of airports with the latest technology remains key.

    “I believe that aviation today is about co-operation. Across the world, co-operation is the word and if we must have an industry with global standards, there must be co-operation. Cooperation  between ground handlers and other airport stakeholders,” Agboarumi said.

  • Trainee aircraft crash lands, delays Ahmed, wife’s flight

    Trainee aircraft of the Kwara state-owned International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin on Wednesday this week reportedly crash-landed at the airport runway.

    The incident affected Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed flight, who was said to be returning from his Abuja trip.

    The governor and his wife were said to have been delayed as a result of the incident for about three hours before arriving at the airport.

    The governor, who had his convoy stationed at the airport around 2:22pm waiting for his arrival from Abuja airport, had to wait until the airspace was reopened and the governor’s chartered aircraft landed at the airport at exactly 5:35pm.

    The Diamond plane No.5N BNH with two pilots onboard crashed landed at exactly 11:05am without any casualty.

    It was, however, gathered that the staff of the IAC, including the rector and some of the airport workers, had evacuated the aircraft from the runway in order to reopen the airspace for flight operations.

    Read also: Kwara Herald staff protest against poor working conditions

    It was gathered at the airport that the aircraft might have experienced gear problem, adding that the back tyres refused to pullout when the pilot was trying to land on the runway.

    When contacted, the Airspace Manager of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at the airport, Engineer Balogun Abiodun, said that he was not authorised to talk on the incident as a civil servant.

    Also, the Rector of the Aviation college Benedict Adeyileke, an engineer declined comment when contacted.

    It was also gathered that the aircraft was towed to the Aviation College before the airspace was reopened around 4:00pm for flight operations.

  • Tackling poor airspace radio communication

    Poor airspace radio communication is pushing some pilots to other contiguous airspace. The result is revenue loss to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). But, following pilots’ and air traffic controllers’complaints, the government has adopted measures to solve the problem, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

    The poor state  of radio communication in the airspace may have pitched pilots against air traffic controllers. There have been complaints  over  “blind spots”, where it is  becoming difficult for pilots to effectively communicate with air traffic personnel at the tower.

    Experts say effective cockpit and control tower communication is a minimum requirement by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for safe air navigation.

    However, some aircraft pilots are said to be diverting flights from the airspace to other contiguous airspace for poor radio communication.

    This development, experts say, puts the airspace agency in dire straits as it stands to lose revenue, which would accrue from charges that airlines pay for using the airspace en route their destination.

    Govt’s intervention 

    Worried by the development, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said it has put a machinery in place to accelerate  upgrade of the airspace  radio communication infrastructure across the country.

    Its General Manager Public Affairs Khalid Emele said it was part of efforts by the government to address the challenge of poor communication.

    According to Emele, the ongoing programme is to ensure that communication challenges experienced by pilots in some parts of the airspace is eliminated.

    He said to boost the clarity of radio communication, especially at the upper airspace, the agency has taken steps to replace all the Very High Frequency (VHF) radios at the existing eight  remote sites in Lagos, Kano, Wukari, Sokoto, Ilorin, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Maiduguri.

    He said the agency has also added six new sites in Jos, Kaduna, Yola, Enugu, Benin and Calabar, bringing to 14 VHF sites nationwide.

    These VHF remote sites, he said, are operated in a network, which will have signal pattern that covers the entire airspace.

    Emele said the agency has also taken delivery of the VHF radio equipment under the “Extended Range VHF Coverage” project, affirming that its installation will start soon.

    He said in 2018, NAMA deployed four stand-alone Jotron High-power long range VHF radios at Lagos East and Lagos West as well as Kano East and Kano West Area Control Centres (ACCs).

    He said it was a backup solution  aimed at addressing Remote Control Air to Ground (RCAG) communication challenges in the upper airspace by providing reliable backup in the event of loss of VHF radio communication on the main system.

    He said: “Plans have been completed to extend the range of the above-stated long-range backup radios and is only awaiting the passage of 2019 budget by the National Assembly for the implementation to commence. When completed, the backup radios would also have sufficient overlap of propagated signals to cover the entire airspace.

    “As an agency, one of our overriding priorities is to provide reliable communication link between the air traffic controller and the flying pilot at all phases of flight and this we are continuously committed to doing.

    “NAMA, therefore, wishes to reassure airspace users and the public that its radio communication infrastructure remains serviceable just as it is intensifying efforts to ensure that the quality continues to improve in line with international standards.”

    NAMA Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu , also said his agency was committed to a safe and efficient airspace reinforced with a first rate radio communications system for the country.

    Akinkuotu said radio communication is a critical factor in pilot-air traffic controller and pilot-pilot exchanges during flight operations.

    The NAMA boss said Nigeria’s airspace deserves the best radio communications system, and that the government was working to deliver it.

    Vowing that there was  no going back in achieving an efficient radio communication, he said: “We have made in-roads in the area of radio communications, but there are challenges. I want to assure my colleagues, the pilots and the controllers that efforts are being made.  And we are not going to stop. I am not going to stop, so long as I am in NAMA, from trying to deliver an optimally functional radio communications system for our airspace.”

    Akinkuotu, a pilot and an aeronautical engineer, explained that  it was essential for communication between the pilots and air traffic controllers to be clear.

    “Part of NAMA’s job is communication. We will keep trying; we will not rest until we fix it. We will fix it.”

    He said though there have been attestations that they have been some remarkable improvements, he would not be satisfied until peak efficiency was attained. “For me, good is not good enough,” he said, asking: “Why not the best?”

    Airspace infrastructure upgrade 

    Recently, the Federal Government completed the Kano Tower Automated Air Traffic Management and Meteorological Systems, installed the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) Category II (CAT II), Doppler Very Omni Directional Radio Range (DVORs), Distance Measuring Equipment (DMEs) at four airports; Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and Kaduna completed, while that of Minna, Jos, Yola, Maiduguri, Benin and Akure are still on-going and near completion.

    Sirika’s intervention

    Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently stated that almost two years ago, NAMA Installed CAT III Instrument Landing System in Lagos and Abuja, which has helped to improve operations during inclement weather conditions.

    His words: “Also, we have installed the Very High Frequency (VHF) radios for aerodrome and approach air-ground communication in 18 airports nationwide.

    “The airports are Maiduguri, Enugu, Jos, Calabar, Yola, Ilorin, Sokoto, Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Zaria and Katsina. Others are Owerri, Yola, Calabar and Kaduna.

    “Besides, we have installed the high power Very High Frequency (VHF) stand-alone radios in Lagos and Kano Area Control Centres (ACC) as backup for air–ground upper airways voice communication and we also embarked on the deployment of Controller-Pilot-Data Link Communication (CPDLC) in Lagos and Kano to enhance communication in the oceanic region and the remote areas of the north.”

    He stated that commencement of Aeronautical Information Management Automation Project, which comprises a network of 26 VSAT facilities at all airports as well as Search and Rescue (S&R), with coordination, is domiciled in Lagos.

    Air traffic controllers’ position 

    The Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has decried the deplorable state of control towers at some airports, describing them as  threat to safety of flights.

    The body listed the airports with deplorable control towers to include Kaduna, Maiduguri, Ilorin, Yola, Sokoto, Benin and Katsina

    Its President Abayomi Agoro said communication between air traffic controllers and pilots remains a huge challenge.

    Besides the poor control towers, he said there was need to look into other challenges air traffic controllers grapple with, including the Abuja Airport Tower Elevator that dropped from its topmost floor to the ground,  a sore point in the aviation industry.

    Agoro said more worrisome is the threat to the health hazard to air traffic controllers, who go through the agony of climbing 232 flights of stairs daily.

    The NATCA boss also spared a thought for the poor controller – pilot Very High Frequency Radio coverage of airspace. He said it is a far cry from the required international standards, but it was still work in progress for NAMA.

    He said NAMA was experiencing enormous loss of revenue in foreign exchange because many foreign aircraft find it a lot convenient to avoid  the airspace and, consequently, operate in contiguous airspace.

    He said: “Over the years, it has been quite herculean for air traffic controllers to communicate effectively with pilots. The limited or inadequate number of air traffic controllers in the country to effectively man all air traffic control units across the country is not only hampering service delivery, but leading to a situation where the staff are overworked and may lead to significant safety implication.”

    Flight crew association’s position 

    Also,  Flight Crew Association of Nigeria (FCAN) Coordinator Captain Robert Roland urged stakeholders in the sector to address issues related  to poor or non-existent communication.

    He said:  “We  have to applaud the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the NAMA with regards to the recent upgrade in the communication and surveillance equipment effected within the Kano Flight Information Region.

    “We wish to re-echo a few suggestions that will not only enhance safety, but also pave the way for sustainable development of our aviation industry.

    ‘’Some of them include improved infrastructure and manpower development, skill retention and stemming of capital flight.”

    Paucity of funds

    There are indications that  NAMA’s  revenue has dwindled due to loss of revenue from over-flier charges,which form the bulk of the agency’s revenue.

    The paucity of funds has seriously affected the smooth running of the agency. Failure to quickly resolve the issue could further plunge the parastatal into crisis because  NAMA is a self-sustaining agency.

    A top official of the agency stated that the communication challenge between pilots and air traffic controllers has made airlines and pilots to rely on neighbouring countries for air traffic navigation because of some ‘black spots’ in the airspace, which the agency is tackling.

    Although Nigeria’s airspace black spot has reduced by over 70 per cent, the inability to cover its vast airspace 100 per cent has contributed to avoidance of the airspace by foreign airlines which they choose to fly longer distances by avoiding it entirely even when the situation does not appear totally bad.

  • FAAN threatens to shutdown Asaba Airport, others over huge debt

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has threatened to shut down operations in two airports in Delta State along with seven other airports over rising debts,The Nation has learnt.

    The  nation’s civil aviation regulators  vowed that except payments are made for services rendered on or before April 30th, 2019, operations will be shutdown in Asaba and Osubi airports.

    According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations, airports that lack security,aerodrome rescue and firefighting personnel services will be shutdown.

    The was contained in a document issued by FAAN‘s Credit Control Department  and obtained by The Nation which gave the latest ultimatum after an earlier one was not heeded by the erring airports.

    It was gathered that privately airports to be affected include the Osubi Airport near Warri, Delta State, and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2).

    State owned airports are Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Delta State Airport, Asaba, Bayelsa International Cargo Airport, in Ammassona, Gombe State Airport, in Gombe, Jigawa State Airport, Dutse, Kebbi State Airport, Birnin Kebbi and Taraba State Airport, Jalingo.

    It was gathered that FAAN has been battling private/state airports over huge debts.

    Part of the circular reads: “Following the notice of intention to sanction issued to owners/operators of private airports indebted to FAAN which lapses on Wednesday, 24th April 2019, FAAN hereby serves another seven days notice of grace till Tuesday, April 30, 2019, for them to settle the debts.”

  • ‘28 countries set to adopt single air transport market’

    ONLY  28 countries  are ready to implement the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) aimed at strenghtening air liberalisation on the continent, Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said.

    Sirika, therefore, called on more African states to adopt the SAATM.

    He said unless member states  of the African Union (AU) agree to  do so, they would have problems with intra-African air connectivity and other issues affecting air transport.

    In an interview during the Second Ordinary Session of the AU Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental  and Inter-regional Infrastructure, in Cairo, Egypt, he said SAATM is projected to stimulate intra-regional connectivity between the capital cities of Africa by creating a unified air transport market and  act as an impetus to the continent’s economic integration and growth agenda.

    Fifty-five nations make up the AU. Member states that have indicated interest in SAATM, Sirika said, include Benin, Burkina Faso,  Botswana, Capo Verde,  Central African Republic, Chad,  Congo,  Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, and  Ethiopia.

    Others are Gabon, Gambia,  Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, and Zimbabwe.

    Sirika said African transport  ministers agreed to strategies that would boost infrastructure.

    He said they also called on  the African Development Bank (AfDB) to continue to mobilise more financial resources for priority intercontinental transport programmes, such as SAATM and implementation of African Plan of Action for Road Safety.

    According to Sirika, the ministers appealed to member states to hasten the signing and or ratification of pending legal instrument related to infrastructure, notably Maritime Charter, Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD) and  SAATM.

    He said Nigeria was set to review  the subsisting Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) to be in consonance with the YD, which stands for air liberalisation. According to him,  the process of domesticating the decision has reached an advanced stage.

    According to him, the future presented both challenges and potential as a continent striving to reposition itself by leveraging the immense potentials that the full implementation of the YD, SAATM offers.

    Sirika said: “We must all, therefore, strive to commit to the full implementation and operationalisation of  SAATM. We need to leap forward  to become an effective global competitor in aviation.

    “In this regard, Nigeria being one of the pioneer member-states signatory to YD, and one of the 23 states that have so far made solemn commitment to the implementation of SAATM by 2018, has constituted a National Implementation Committee to review all the subsisting BASAs to be in consonance with the YD.

    Read also: FG to revisit national carrier project, says Sirika

    “The process of domesticating the decision is at an advanced stage. Nigeria recognised the need to provide for enhanced traffic growth that will be an offshoot of the full operationalisation of SAATM.

    “Currently, some of the international airports are being expanded with the addition of new terminals, the government has also approved the concession of the major international airports in its efforts to reposition them for better service delivery.”

    He urged the remaining member- states to join the SAATM, ratify the African Road Safety Charter, the Revised Maritime Transport Charter and the Africa Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Constitution.

    In a related development , 16 African states have signed a memorandum of implementation (MoI) which will  open their markets .

    The African Civil Aviation Commission ( AFCAC), which made this known,  said once  a state signs the MoI, it is uploaded to the body’s website notifying other states that their market is  now open for the removal of all restrictive provisions from bilateral agreements.

    The Dakar-based AFCAC is the body responsible for implementing intra-African open skies.

    Its Secretary-General, Tefera Mekonnen, said the MoI will make it easier for states to come on board.

    He said: ”Previously, states have had to go through the so-called “seven concrete steps” to implement liberalisation. For us, it is not relevant for them to complete everyone.

    Mekonnen said  the seven steps—which were developed during the launch phase—have become cumbersome and needed refining.

    He said: ”The MoI has become the eighth step, effectively replacing the previous seven. I am not interested in numbers. I am interested in implementation

    “Currently,  28 countries have signed up to SAATM and 16 of these have signed the MoI, committing to unconditional and immediate implementation of all the provisions of the YD.

    “Most of the legal framework for SAATM is now in place, including rules for consumer protection and fair competition. The AU and AFCAC are looking at using the dispute-settlement mechanisms, which were adopted for the Common Africa Free Trade Area, for SAATM.

    “In the meantime, airlines can use the dispute-settlement provisions of YD, or rules within bilateral air-service agreements.”

    “AFCAC will finalise its action plan, releasing a quarterly progress update. This strategy includes synchronising AFCAC’s work with other stakeholders, such as IATA, ahead of a push for greater awareness and implementation from the second quarter of 2019.

  • FAAN to withdraw services at airports over debts

    THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has  threatened to withdraw its services from some private and state airports that are owing it.

    The private airports to be affected  include the Osubi Airport near Warri, Delta State, and the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2 ).

    The state airports are Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Delta State Airport, Asaba, Bayelsa International Cargo Airport, in Ammassona, Gombe State Airport, in Gombe, Jigawa State Airport, Dutse, Kebbi State Airport, Birnin Kebbi and Taraba State Airport, Jalingo.

    FAAN services include security, aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel. In the absence of these, there will be no flights, according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    For some years, FAAN has been battling private/state airports  over  huge debts.

    Investigations reveal that Gombe Airport and Kebbi Airports  are owing over N 731, 873, 721.

    While the Gombe State Airport is  owing N607, 289, 972, Kebbi owed N124, 547, 240 as at September 10, last year.

    FAAN’s Credit Control Department recently issued an ultimatum to the airports to clear their debts or face sanctions. It will expire on April 30.

    The circular read: “Following the notice of intention to sanction issued to owners/operators of private airports indebted to FAAN which lapses on Wednesday 24th April, 2019, FAAN hereby serves another seven days notice of grace  till Tuesday April  30, 2019 for them to settle the debts

    “In view of the above, the authority hereby notifies private airport operators that the services of our aviation security as well as aerodrome rescue and fire fighting personnel will no longer be available for operations of their airports with effect from Wednesday, May 1, 2019, as FAAN can no longer keep these personnel at airports without payment.”

    The sanction, it was learnt, would include FAAN directing the  Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to restrict operations at the airports.

    A source at the regulator’s office explained: ”The position is that FAAN has an MoU with all the privately-owned aerodromes to provide aviation security for them and NCAA approved. If that is withdrawn, it follows that there is no security in those airports and the Authority will have the grounds to close them them.”

    Last year, NAMA’s Managing Director, Captain Fola Akinkuotu said the agency  withdrew air traffic services from some private airports and airstrips over indebtedness.

    NCAA’s Director General, Captain Mukthar Usman said flights will not take place in any airport unless it has fire and securuty cover.

    The authority  , it was learnt, has been briefed on the matter.

    The NCAA will not certify flights from any airport unless it has fire cover and aviation security services provided by FAAN.

    A few months ago, FAAN set up a committee to map out plans to boost revenue generation for the agency from non-aeronautical sources.

    Its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma stated this to reporters in Lagos.

    Dunoma said it was high time airport authorities on the continent diversified their revenue generation from aeronautic to non-aeronautic, stressing that other airport managers across the world had already keyed into this.

    He insisted that the committee, which he chaired, consisted of relevant directorates and departments responsible for revenue generation for FAAN and would come out with a roadmap to enhance revenues for the agency

    He declared that FAAN could not be left behind in development of its airport infrastructure, stressing that the only way to achieve this was for it to diversify its revenue generation and tap into the myriad of opportunities in the system.

  • Turkish Airlines hails Abuja Airport facility upgrade

    Operational facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NNIA), Abuja have been stepped up to ease passenger facilitation, Country Manager, Turkish Airlines, Abuja, Mehmet Asik, has said.

    He said the carriers now have a different flight experience using the newly inaugurated Abuja Airport Terminal, as opposed to the old terminal where its aircraft could not park near the aviobridge, forcing it to use a bus to convey passengers to the terminal building.

    Asik disclosed this in an interview with The Nation last week.

    He said the carriers had devised strategies to handle short landing of luggage into Abuja Airport experienced about two years ago.

    He said the carrier considers the Nigerian market very important, a development that has made it  to work harder to proffer solutions to infractions arising from poor services.

    His words:  “We are so happy to move our operations to the new terminal, we are happy to have the very latest technology in Abuja, it will give us the best opportunity to handle our passengers. At the old terminal, there was no such opportunity for us to park near the bridge, passengers only use the bus to connect the terminal on arrival but the new terminal offers more facilities”,

    Speaking on what led to passengers blocking an aircraft on the tarmac in Abuja in 2016, Asik attributed this to capacity and seasonality, adding the airline had since made some technical adjustments to prevent a similar experience .

    “The problem had to do with capacity and seasonality, sometimes some people prefer to carry over 100 luggage and during period, it becomes an issue but we have been able to prevent this from happening since then and we will continue to update the system.”

    He said the airline   will begin London-Istanbul-Port-Harcourt flights beginning from June 24.

    He  added that  the airline plans to introduce student fare on the route by offering discount to passengers going to study abroad from the region.

    He also disclosed that the airline will introduce its Corporate fare (club) to institutions, non-governmental organisations and ministries in the Port-Harcourt region, adding that they will enjoy benefits such as discounts, no penalties, incentives and excess baggage. On why the airline expanded flights  into  Port Harcourt, he  said it would be an opportunity to open the route to the world through Istanbul.

    He commended the fact that the international airport in Port Harcourt is new and would support the airline’s services and give passengers a world of wonderful experience.

    He  said Turkish Airline  has seen steady and significant passenger and cargo growth from 2005 till date. The airline, he said, has grown from a 14 million passenger per annum in 2005 to 78.5 million per annum in 2018 basing it on the airline’s drive for safety, customer satisfaction.

    He also said that the airline has grown from 135,000 tonnes in 2005 to about one million tonnes in 2018, stating that Lagos houses its biggest cargo operations in the world with three cargo flights weekly.

    On fleet acquisition, the Turkish team stated that  the airline has 336 aircraft, all at an average of 8.2 years old making it the youngest fleet in the world and has ordered over 150 new aircraft to boost its fleet size to approximately 500 in the next five years.

    Turkish airline said on Thursday, it airlifted 75.2 million passengers to and from its over 307 destinations in 2018.

    “The fleet age is very important to us, Turkish airline fleet is one of the youngest in the world, the newer the fleet, the more efficient it is. We operate to 307 destinations in the world, we have 336 aircraft in our fleet and in the next years, we plan to increase the fleet to approximately 500”, he said.

    On cargo operations, he said the traffic grew from 145,000 tons in 2005 to 1 million tons annually in 2018, adding that it records the highest tons from Lagos where it operates three weekly flights.

    Speaking on products and services, Asik said its Business Class catering is the best in the world while the economy catering is number two.

    “We always try to keep the travel experience in the Business Class as the best. We have 350 movies in in-flight, we have free on board WI-FI apart from the flying Chef who prepares passengers’ meal onboard, this is why we have the best catering in the world.

    “We have the corporate club, which offers benefits such as discount, incentives and excess baggage. We also have the Miles and Smiles where we reward frequent flyers and loyal customers. There is also the Istanbul Tour for transit passengers.. In this programme, we take passengers on sightseeing of historical places in Istanbul and offer them free breakfast and lunch before joining their flights. We fly to more countries in the world than any other airline, so in terms of international destinations, we are number one.