Category: Aviation

Arik Air has not resumed  flights on some international routes it suspended last year because of the need to put adequate measures in place.

Its Managing Director, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, said this at a trade forum with partners in Lagos.

He said the carrier, which was under receivership by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), would focus on  domestic and regional routes.

Ilegbodu said there was the need for proper planning to avoid hitches.

He said an airline should be well-positioned before flying on international routes by securing the right partnerships and alliances with other global carriers

Ilegbodu said: “You should also go with the right aircraft in terms of fuel efficiency, seat capacity and things like that.”

Represented  by AMCON Chief Commercial Officer and Head, Receivership Support, Mr. Omokide Kamilu, he said if any airline failed to carry out proper planning before venturing into international routes, the carrier  would burn its  fingers.

On AMCON’s plans for Arik,  Ilegbodu said:  “We are very clear as AMCON to what our role in Arik is. We’re primarily a debt-recovery company. We were set up by the Federal Government to stabilise the banking industry primarily and, by extension, companies that have borrowed from the banking industry.”

While emphasising that AMCON was not going into aviation business, the CEO maintained that its job in Arik was to first stabilise it so that AMCON could put the company in a position to repay its loans.

“The aviation industry is very critical to the economy. Arik too is big, Aero is big. That’s why you see a lot of AMCON interest in those companies, otherwise we wouldn’t be. Our job is to recover our money and in doing this, we also want the Nigerians to get some benefits by stabilising this company,’’ Ilegbodu said.

Besides many challenges, he said  Arik Air has improved its fleet size.Though it had left the Maiduguri route, the airline has returned to it.

Ilegbodu added: “We are planning to reopen Bauchi very soon under a partnership with the government. We plan to open other routes in the West African Coast to take advantage of our increased capabilities.”

Some travel agents, who spoke to reporters, commended AMCON,  stressing that the airline has regained air passengers’ confidence.

Phillip Adeleke of Bon Voyage Travels said with innovative strategies, AMCON  has restored passengers’  confidence.

Another travel agent and Arik Air trade partner, Mrs Margaret Ekerete, said AMCON has transformed Arik Air operations.

The travel agent said: “I think the platform Arik is using is very good. Our airlines and agents find it very convenient. I am very happy Arik Air is back, resuming all its major operations with buoyant plans of going forward.”

The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has embarked on a review of 120 safety recomendations issued since 2007 when it was set up.

The essence of the review, the bureau said, is to ascertain whether the recomendations have reduced incidents and air mishaps.

Its Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Akin Olateru, said in an interview that it was not enough for an accident investigation agency to issue safety recommendation. It must benchmark such recommendations with current trends in the sector to ensure operators and regulators are complying with them, he said.

Olateru, who said the review was not motivated by the incidents involving Dana Air, Delta Airlines and Arik Air, stated that its objective was to achieve safer skies and mitigate hazards in flight operations.

He said the exercise was not targetted at any airline or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), whose job it is to enforce the safety recommendations.

According to him, the review will not eliminate accidents or serious incidents, but it will reduce the spate of such by airlines, ground handling companies and other players.

A committee, he said, has been set up to review the recommendations; it is to submit its report within 30 days.

Olateru, who is chairman of the committee, listed other members to include AIB representatives NCAA, the Federal Ministry of Transport and two independent experts.

Experts from the industry appointed as consultants to the committee are Capt. Kiddie Dare and  Gbolahan Abatan.

Olateru said: ”While we appreciate that our safety recommendations have recorded positive impacts locally and globally, we found it imperative to holistically review the effectiveness of all the recommendations with a view to enhancing aviation safety to the benefits of all air travellers.

“It is with this background that AIB decided to review our recommendations from inception totaling 120 and measure the level of their effectiveness. Members of this committee are drawn from AIB, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Ministry of Transportation and the industry.”

To ensure a balance and objectivity, the  Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has approved the appointment of experienced industry experts as consultants to the committee.

“The committee will engage the affected stakeholders on the effectiveness of the safety recommendations addressed to them and submit their report to AIB management, which will work on it for the benefits of the industry.

“The responsibility for enforcing safety recommendations lies with NCAA and this may explain why there are four nominees on this committee from the agency. This exercise is, therefore, to complement their efforts and enhance the industry’s capacity to improve safety.”

A Nigerian pilot, Mr. Ambrose Ojobo, has said he  joined Emirates Airlines because of its safety culture, job security, reliability, self-improvement opportunity, career progression, span of route network, quality of training and good welfare package.

Ojobo, a First Officer, flies Boeing 777 aircraft with the Dubai-based  world-class airlines.

Speaking  with reporters in Dubai, the pilot explained that Emirates Airlines was named Airline of the Year at the Air Transport Awards.

Ojobo said the airline had given him multi-cultural exposure and opportunities.

“I am certified on the Boeing 777 aircraft. Factors to consider prior to each flight are summarised into the preflight preparation briefings; a constant review of the aircraft manual, continuous recap of the aircraft procedures. We are also provided rigorous training on flight simulators to handle any possible scenario that might arise during a flight so we are mentally prepared,” Ojobo said.

On what inspired him to join the flying career, the pilot said: “I was fired by my toy ‘Bullet train, vehicles and how they move; cars, trucks, the fighter jets, and the big mighty Jumbo jet (Boeing 747). My uncle, who was an air force pilot and my parents.

Hailing Emirates Airlines for its robust training, Ojobo said: “Training is world-class here. My initial training on joining was for approximately three months, which included the company’s induction to the B777 type rating course comprising the ground school classes using advanced computer-based training to the B777 simulator initial training and, finally, ending with the line training flying to at least all the continent’s on world within the route network.

“Furthermore, every six months we are required by regulation and company’s policy to stay abreast with the latest training developments carrying out recurrent training ground school; then validating the B777 type rating, Low Visibility Operation and a Line Operations Scenario and Evaluation. In addition, every three  months, we refresh our UPRT (Upset recovery training). These trainings are performed in the B777 simulator at Emirates training college. The airplanes are world-class, new and maintained by a world-class maintenance team.”

On the secret behind Emirates’successes as a global brand, Ojobo said: “First of all, I feel it was not magic, but visionary approach and dedicated commitment to hard work by an excellent team seeking best ways to improve our customer experience.

“I started my flying career in Nigeria, at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State. I was then retained and employed to be a Flight instructor, which I did for four and half years. I, then, moved to actively flying airline commercial jets on the B737NG and now trained by Emirates Airlines flying the big dream jet Boeing 777,” he said.

The Training Manager, Induction Crew Training at Emirates Airlines Training School in Dubai, Violet Anyonge, said the cabin crew got training in skills competence and confidence.

Anyonge spoke during reporters’ tour of the training facility of the Emirates Aviation College (EAC) in Dubai.

She said EAC  Crew Training has  various training courses, covering   Safety  and Emergency Procedures, Medical Training, Service and Image.

She said: “Apart from teaching them the skills in terms of what they need to evacuate passengers in times of emergencies; for us, it is also important for them to practice so that when they go out, they will be competent in terms of knowledge and also confident in carrying out what they are supposed to do”.

Anyonge also said the college caters for both new and old cabin  crew.

Opened in 2007, Anyonge said the centre trains recruits, who undergo intense eight-week training, adding that the centre houses various specialised training rooms and equipment to support learning in Safety and  Emergency Procedures; Medical Training; Security Training, Cabin Service Training, and Image and Uniform, among others.

Anyonge also said during the training, there is also an induction team, who take care of recruits.

According to her, Emirates is training has theoretical and practical components and the courses are conducted by qualified staff members.

The centre is equipped with advanced motion simulators, including A330/A340, Boeing 777 and A380, she said.

She further added that service training in mock aircraft across Emirates’fleet types and cabins ensures that the crew are familiarised with the aircraft in a true-to-life environment.

“Here they practise how to jump and instruct their customers to do so. They will be having different scenarios. They will be told that they have crashed either in the desert or water. There are a lot of tabulars in the simulators,’’ they added.

“So you actually feels that you have crashed. What we are looking at is to access how assertive are the crew in making sure that they can control the passengers evacuation. Last year when we had an incident at the airport that was the time that we were able to access how effective our training is. If you remember it was all about how the Emirates crew were able to evacuate the aircraft in 90 seconds”, Anyonge emphasised.

Thirty foreign airlines pay N985.5 million yearly to the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco Aviance) for towing their aircraft to the disembankment point for passengers, investigations have revealed.

The amount is for ramp and ground handling for their flights out of the Lagos Airport.

According to last year’s figures from the NCAA on passenger movement, international airlines operate about 30 flights daily  from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).

This implies that in 365 days the airport will process  10,950 flights. Ground handling firms charge $250 to tow an aircraft.

Investigations revealed that airlines pay $2,737 million ( about N985,320 million) yearly to tow their aircraft into the finger.

This amount excludes charges airlines pay for towing the aircraft as a result of flight cancellations, delays and repairs.

A source said it was only in Nigeria that airlines towed their aircraft to the finger instead of taxing.

Sources close to the regulators said the reason  airlines paid to tow their aircraft was because the fingers at the airports are not large enough to enable pilots park without damaging their aircraft.

However,, airline sources said they preferred towing to reduce the emission of carbon.

A member of the Aviation Roundtable, John Ojikutu, said fingers in many of the airports were built over 40 years ago without improvement.

Ojikutu, who is the chief executive of Centurion Securities, said apart from the fingers at Abuja Airport, others were outdated and might not accommodate some aircraft if they taxied.

This option, he said, puts many airlines in a tight corner, forcing them to tow their aircraft into the finger.

“Some airlines insist on using certain fingers. For instance, in 2007, Airbus 340 had long winglet and Emirates was flying Boeing 777. The two of them chose fingers that were closer to each other to park. The pilot alone could not safely park the aircraft side by side  the other one. So, they parked outside and the towing vehicle came and towed them into the finger.

“At other times, it is the type of aircraft and airmanship of the pilot that will determine if he parks by himself or tows the aircraft. The pilots most times do not trust the marshal’s directions, so they request for a towing vehicle to move it quietly into position,” Ojikutu added.

He noted that there were also risks in towing an aircraft as the vehicles of the handlers sometimes hit the aircraft.

”If you hit the engine of a 777, it costs about $20 million. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should ensure handlers operate with insurance to cover their operations,” he added.

Air Traffic Controllers in Nigeria President Victor Iyaro said towing of aircraft was often by request.

”The airlines have their reasons for requesting for grand handlers to tow the aircraft. They probably look at the financial implication. If the amount of fuel they burn taxing to the finger is higher, they ‘ll rather tow.”

Tayo Ajakaye, NAHCo’s spokesman, confirmed that the ground handling companies helped the airlines to tow if an aircraft is not ready to fly.

“If an aircraft is to be moved for another operation apart from the initial one, we tow the aircraft. For instance, if they cancel a flight at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) and want to use it for charter operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport’s local terminal (MMA2), it will be towed there,” Ajakaye added.