Category: Aviation

THE new President of the National Association of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ben Nnabue,  has vowed to end workers’ victimisation.

Speaking with reporters  after his election in Asaba, the Delta State capital, Nnabue said he would resist concession, casualisation and job loss in the sector.

According to him, welfare of workers will remain paramount. He said the union has declared an emergency in the condition of service.

Nnabue explained that a four- point agenda of leadership, security, welfare of members and financial autonomy has been mapped out for the union.

He promised to construct a 45-room hotel on NUATE’s property  in Beesam in Lagos.

Nnabue said this would enable the union to depend on internally generated revenue for self-sustenance.

He said a new means of communication among NUATE members across the country would be introduced to keep members posted with activities of the union.

While assuring members  that he would execute his campaign promises, he appealed to them to work with the new team to achieve their goals.

Nnabue over the weekend defeated four other contestants to win.

He thanked the NUATE ‘s immediate past president, Comrade Mohammed Safiyanu, for his support.

Meanwhile, Safiyanu urged the new executive to remain focus, especially as the issue of airport concession was in the front burner.

Safiyanu said it would enable them to approach the issue with all seriousness, saying it would be a great challenge if not well tackled, which may lead to problems.

The use of Boeing 737 Max will boost Air Peace’s operations and reduce maintenance costs through low fuel consumption, the airline’s Chairman, Allen Onyema, has said.

Onyema said these were the factors considered when the airline ordered for 10 Boeing 737 Max from the American manufacturer.

Besides, it is the best aircraft for long haul operations, he said.

Onyema said in Lagos that Boeing 737 Max aircraft would help the carrier in its intercontinental operations, which require planes that can carry over 200 passengers.

The airline, he said, decided to acquire the aircraft in order to expand its operations after about four years of changing the domestic aviation landscape.

Onyema said the aircraft would place the country at par with what legacy carriers across the globe are offering their passengers.

Affirming that Air Peace was sticking to its business model and expansion plan, Onyema said the  10 new aircraft would increase its fleet of airplanes to 37.

He said: “The decision to order 10 Boeing 737 Max airplanes was not taken in a hurry, but part of our strategic growth plan in the fourth year of our existence to buy brand new airplanes. Apart from the new Boeing airplanes, we are also in discussions with Airbus, Bombardier and ATR to acquire their brands of aircraft.

“ We struck the deal to acquire airplanes from Boeing because our financial partners, Fidelity Bank, were excited over our template for repayment. Apart from Fidelity, other  Nigerian banks are ready to undertake such deals for us to get brand new planes that will change passengers’ perception about Nigerian carriers.

“The new planes besides changing passengers’ perception will also alter the narrative about the economics of airline business by ensuring reliability, reducing cost of aircraft maintenance and fueling.”

On why Air Peace has not commenced flights on some international routes, Onyema cited regulatory approvals from the civil aviation authorities of the countries it is designated to fly into.

He said most of the complaints about its delay to launch such flights were because of factors outside its control.

Onyema said the government should step up its support to indigenous carriers by getting involved in international aero politics.

He said: “Indigenous carriers need the support of the government to actualise their dream of flying into international routes. Other countries are supporting their carriers, there is no harm if Nigerian government does the needful by getting more involved in international aero politics to support Air Peace.”

He said some foreign carriers enjoying privileges on Nigerian routes could do anything to frustrate the efforts of Air Peace to fly into their countries due to perceived competition.

He said South African government and the Government of the People’s Republic of China have set stringent conditions for Air Peace, which its officials have been grappling to navigate through.

For instance, Onyema said the Chinese Government mandated Air Peace to have two aircraft registered and documented with its civil aviation authority to meet requirement for approval for flights.

South African Government, he said, took over two years to respond to its application, which is being handled by the authorities.

He said the Nigerian Government should go the extra mile to leverage international aero politics to soften the ground for indigenous carriers, which had proven that they could match legacy carriers with same service if a level playing field is created.

He disclosed that before the end of November, Air Peace would commence flights into the United Arab Emirates, a development he said was creating jitters in foreign carriers’ circle.

Onyema said Air Peace would unveil competitive fares on some of its international routes.

He said the carrier was not in a haste to begin flights into the United Kingdom, because it needed to get its acts right so as not to embarrass Nigerians with glitches in its operations.

Onyema said the carrier needed to have enough aircraft best suited for long haul operations with back- up arrangement to forestall possibilities of aircraft developing fault.

He said: ”We are not in a haste to commence operations into London yet, we will abide by regulatory advice to sort out all that is required by getting the right approvals and aircraft before commencing flights.

“ We do not intend to erode passengers’ confidence and embarrass the country.”

He, however, called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, fix airport infrastructure including good terminals; functional air field lighting systems and transit facilities to enable Nigeria become a hub.

Onyema said efficient airport infrastructure plays a huge role in the development of hubs, and can attract airlines using them to connect flights.

He said the need for efficient airport systems reaffirms the need for the government to concession airports to enable them run seamlessly.

The concession arrangement, he said, should not bring about job losses;  those affected in the management of the terminals from public to private managers, should be deployed to other agencies of government, Onyema said.

He decried the negative views of some so-called experts in the sector, whom he alleged are misadvising government on how it could turn around the sector.

Onyema said Air Peace has developed a financial template for its aircraft acquisition that has made some financial institutions seek to partner it on fleet expansion.

He commended Boeing for supporting its fleet expansion by introducing a flexible model for acquisition.

To develop an airport into a hub, there must be proper investment in operational infrastructure and planning, the Regional Manager, West Africa, Emirates Airline, Mr Afzal Parambil, has said.

He said airports do not become a hub overnight without a robust planning for operational facilities and airlines that will operate in such facilities.

To achieve this, he said governments of many countries should continue to put in place facilities at airports that would match the volume of anticipated growth in passenger capacity.

Speaking in an interview at the weekend in Lagos, he said the government of the United Arab Emirates has adopted this strategy to develop Dubai into a successful hub in the Middle East.

He urged the Nigerian Government to take a cue from what has been achieved by Ghana in developing Kotoka Airport , in Accra, into a hub for West Africa.

The Emirates Manager said Nigerian government over the years has been consistent in addressing challenges of airport infrastructure.

He, however, noted that countries with national carriers have the capacity to use such airlines to develop airport infrastructure.

Parambil said Emirates is interested in the Nigerian market because most Nigerians see Dubai as a favorite destination.

He said the airline will continue to invest in the Nigerian market having flown over five million passengers in many years.

He said: ”This explains our investment in this market by introducing the Boeing 777 aircraft , which is our flagship equipment to serve the Abuja / Dubai route.

“ Besides passenger service into Nigeria, we have consolidated on  air freight of goods including, kola nuts , chocolate and medical supplies out of Nigeria. We have also assisted in Hajj operations. Our ambitious growth plan is to consolidate our current daily passenger load factor out of Nigeria. “

He said Emirates is favourably disposed to entering into interline agreements with any domestic carrier , which safety and operational template aligns with its vision.

“ This will assist us to achieve feeding and de- feeding  of passengers into our over 150 global routes. Though we once had some agreement with Arik Air, we are in discussions with some partners. We do not have any challenge partnering with any airline.

“ But, we must look at the enhanced processes of such partner airline to endure it runs a smooth and efficient services in addition to evaluating the performance reliability of such carrier . “This is to ascertain their safety, promptness before we sign any pact that will ensure mutuality and efficiency.”

Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has  upgraded its operating aircraft on the Abuja route to a Boeing 777-300ER from the 777-300 classic.

The upgrade took effect last week.

Dana Air has explained its partnership with  Togo based airline, Asky, saying the deal was to increase its aircraft fleet.

The deal was expected to increase the airline’s fleet from three aircraft to 10.

According to the Chief Operating Officer of the domestic airline, Obi Mbanuzuo, the partnership with Asky would see the airline operate with an all Asky crew in collaboration with crew from Dana Air, which he described as a ‘damp lease’.

Besides increasing its aircraft fleet, Dana Air, Mbanuzuo said, will also leverage training of its crew as benefits of the pact. This is in addition to possibilities for code share and interline agreements.

He said the deal had nothing to do with Ethiopian Airlines as being speculated in some quarters.

The Dana Air manager said: “We have had no discussion with Ethiopian Airlines; we had zero discussions with them. Even in terms of the aircraft, this is strictly between Dana Air and Asky. For now, it’s an aircraft lease agreement and what we are getting in return. We are getting the aircraft, and we are giving the standard economic remuneration for that.

“This has nothing to do with Ethiopian Airlines and if there is anything Asky is doing with Ethiopian Airlines, it is on their own level. The interline and codeshare, once we sign it, is also between us and Asky.”

Mbanuzuo also said Asky aircraft would operate with Dana Air’s call sign, Dana in-flight services and catering and even the entire interior of the aircraft is branded Dana.

“We are flying those airplanes and adding more. Aircraft and pilots on board are Asky’s and in the back we have cabin crew and they have theirs, it’s a damp lease. But the pilot flying might be from Asky, but he is Nigerian,” Mbanuzuo said.

He said the  current deal with the Togolese airline was a stepping stone to greater and better things as Dana has aircraft going through rounds of certification before being introduced into the market.

“There are aircraft currently registered under Dana name as the owner that nobody has seen yet, they are currently undergoing the necessary checks, the work being done on them needs them to conform to our regulations in Nigeria. We are working very hard with NCAA and there has been progress,” he said.