The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • ‘$800b needed in 37 years to fix transport infrastructure deficit’ 

    About $800 billion would be required to fix critical transport infrastructure deficit in the next 37 years, a finance expert, Opeyemi Agbaje,  has said.

    Agbaje, who is the Chief Executive Officer of RTC Advisory Services Limited, said  aviation alone would require about $50 billion to address gaps in airport and air navigation facilities.

    He disclosed this  in Lagos while delivering a paper at the NigeriaTravelMart Colloquium 2017, with the theme: “Vision 2050: how to fast track Nigeria’s aviation.”

    According to him, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the global aviation industry last year, was $1.764 trillion while  only $59.373 billion came to Africa within the period.

    Besides, Nigerian aviation industry only attracted $4 billion FDI, which indicated that the country did not encourage private participation.

    He said despite the potential in the  country’s aviation industry, Nigeria was yet to attract FDI, adding that for the country to attract FDI, it would need a stable macroeconomic environment and should be forward looking in its activities.

    The Federal Government, he said, would not be able to provide funding to address infrastructural gaps in the country’s aviation industry until it puts measures in place to attract robust capital through foreign investment.

    He said: “The entire transport system is not keeping pace with the Nigerian economy. Our government still relies on crude oil, but the private investors have diversified.”

    Speaking on the topic entitled: “National carrier – An option to fast track growth, investment and resource”, an aviation expert, Ali Magashi, said Nigerian aviation could only make significant progress if the government reconsiders the setting up of a national carrier.

    Magashi said a national carrier would be preferred to flag carriers operated by private sector players, which have over the years failed to deliver air travel services on international routes.

    He said given the huge cost implications and attendant low returns on investment, only government is better positioned to mobilise the required capital to set up a national carrier with innumerable strategic benefits for the economy.

    Magashi said the leading 20 global carriers, including United Airlines, Delta, U.S. Airlines, Lufthansa , British Airways and Air France / KLM Airlines are still owned by their governments.

    Other airlines under government ownership, he said, include Turkish Airlines, Qantas, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern, Singapore, Japan, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia, Emirates, Qatar , Etihad , Ethiopian , Egypt Air and South African Airways.

    He said countries such as Kenya that have opted for the flag carrier model have not done well due largely to its ownership and codeshare structure.

    He said  the re-establishment of a national carrier for Nigeria would lead to the creation of leasing companies, maintenance hangars and reduce  capital flight.

    He urged the government to eschew federal character, especially at the executive management status, and called for open and transparent mechanism in running such airline.

    Magashi said: “I am in support of a national carrier for Nigeria because private sector players will not invest the huge capital investment in such enterprise with the attendant high risks and low returns .

    “If as a country we want to achieve development in aviation, the government must make the initial investment and can only stop to invest until the airline develops with the right institutional compliance and maturity before it can be privatised’’ . Until then, the government will continue to support and bail out the airline.”

    He continued: “For the proposed national carrier to succeed, the government must demonstrate the political will, handle issues bordering on vested interest and get directly involved in the process of aircraft purchase and other related procurement processes.

    “The approach should be government to government  in providing sovereign guarantee for purchase of airplanes. The governance structure should include stakeholders and sector integration in support of aircraft maintenance and manpower training. Above all, the government must eschew the principle of Federal character in the recruitment of personnel and ensure that the executive management level is determined by competence and experience.”

    In his presentation entitled: A template for fast tracking Aviation by 2050,  Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen Apple Nigeria Hangar, Dr Harold Demuren, said for the sector to grow, the government must increase its budget on air side infrastructure at the airports.

    Besides, Demuren said the government should facilitate zero interest capital, address poor corporate governance issues and protracted litigation.

    However, he  said for Nigeria to fully benefit from the expected growth in aviation, the government must  invest in infrastructural development and develop human capacities.

    “Government must take a serious look at how to attract zero interest capital, investment in both the land and airside of airports and ensure that aviation fuel is clean, available and affordable,”Demuren said.

    Also speaking , Chief Executive Officer, Ropeways Nigeria Limited,  Captain Dapo Olumide, said domestic carriers will continue to fail until issues concerning their operational structure, ownership model and the use of operating equipment were re-examined.

     

  • Dana Air wins customer service award

    Dana Air wins customer service award

    Dana Air has been named the Best Customer Service Airline for the fourth year running at the Nigerian Customer Experience Management Conference and Awards, which held in  Abuja last week.

    The award was presented to the airline at the fifth edition of the conference with the theme: ‘The Move from Customer Service to Customer Experience.’.

    Customer Service Awards Limited Managing Director, Dr. Aliyu O.Ilias, said, Dana Air clinched the award as a result of its commitment to the principles of customer experience management.

    He said the airline’s nomination and selection were done through Customers’ feedback, online polls, Independent survey and mystery  shopping services.

    Responding to the award, Dana Air Media and Communications Manager, Kingsley Ezenwa, said winning the Best Customer Service Award for the fourth time was a confirmation that its investment in creativity, technology, and customer-centric initiatives is paying off.

    He said: “We appreciate the organisers of the award and the flying public for appreciating the efforts that we are making to give the best of everything we offer.

    “Only recently and based on popular demands from our teeming passengers, we opened a new office at Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos, to create that presence for our guests around the Island and its axis. We also recently created a Special Service Unit to cater to the urgent needs of our guests at the airports in Lagos, Abuja, and Uyo.

    “We still have our self check-in kiosk at the MMA2, the first of its kind at the terminal, our partnership with zowasel.com to offer our guests great discounts at partner outlets is getting positive reviews, the pay with Dana Miles concept and more.

    “Just to mention a few of the initiatives we have put in place to enhance customer experience. We dedicate this award to our staff for their professionalism.’’

     

  • NAMA seals deal on space-based navigation system

    The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aireon LLC of United States on exploring the deployment of space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system in Nigeria.

    In a statement, its Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the ADS-B solution, which is a recognised next generation  standard for surveillance and air traffic management, is a critical requirement in preparation for the implementation of the relevant elements of Aviation System Block Upgrades (ASBU).

    Signing the MoU at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos last week, Akinkuotu said the ADS-B solution would ensure 100 per cent  real time surveillance coverage of the Nigerian airspace.

    NAMA, he said,  was committed to exploring every opportunity and relevant technology to ensure safety of air navigation in the country in compliance with world best practices and regulatory requirements.

    In a related development, the Capt. Akinkuotu has described the role of human factors in Air Traffic Management Safety as critical in the process of hazard identification and safety risk management.

    Akinkuotu, who was a guest speaker and panelist at the just-concluded Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), Africa Conference and Safety Seminar, in Marrakesh, Morocco, listed the human factors to include environmental, organisational and job factors as well as individual characteristics, adding that they have direct impact on the individual’s behaviour and could affect health and safety.

    Delivering a paper  entitled : “Human Factor and Safety,” Akinkuotu, who was represented by NAMA’s Legal Adviser, Mrs. Anastasia Gbem, said the introduction of technology does not primarily aim at improving safety, but  to satisfy  the demands for increase in service delivery. The technology, he said, maintains existing margins of safety.

    He said in Air Traffic Management, any technological advancement deployed to improve the system capacity, if not properly interfaced through adequate training and orientation, would lead to operational error.

    Akinkuotu said: “These  technologies are introduced to increase ATM capacities,” urging Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in Africa to continuously review work processes and procedures to further tighten the noose on vulnerability of mismatches in the interfaces between people and technology.

    This, he said, has become imperative in order to effectively trap operational errors. He also tasked the executive leadership team to create a “zero-tolerance safety culture” to be embraced by all levels of the organisation.

    Meanwhile, NAMA has been praised for its excellence in delivering expeditious air navigation services within the nation’s airspace. This is contained in a letter of commendation to Capt. Akinkuotu by the Airport Manager of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Justin Bell.

    Bell said the airline appreciated NAMA’s efficiency in ensuring seamless, smooth and timely movement of aircraft across the Nigerian airspace, adding that  the flight control team in the United Kingdom (UK) appreciated the agency for its excellence in air navigation service provision.

  • ‘Why Nigeria must invoke bilateral reciprocity clause’

    If Nigeria wants indigenous carriers to actualise the bilateral agreements it signed with over 75 countries, it must invoke the reciprocity clause in such agreements,  Managing Director, Medview Airlines, Muneer Bankole, has said.

    He said without doing this,   some countries which airlines are enjoying flight frequencies in Nigeria, would continue to erect barriers on the way of indigenous carriers designated to fly into them.

    In an interview at the weekend, he said some countries had devised means to prevent  airlines from flying into them.

    Some of the measures devised  by such countries, he said, are denying Nigerian carriers designated to operate into such countries of airport slot and frequencies at major airport terminals.

    He argued that until the government took hard stance, the dream of domestic carriers to actualise their designation on some international routes would remain just that.

    Citing the sour experience of Medview Airlines in its bid to fly into the Dubai Airport, Bankole said the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denied the carrier approval to operate into Terminal 1 of Dubai Airport.

    Suspecting that the UAE authorities were trying to protect their carriers , Bankole said the carrier challenged the decision.

    He said the airline wrote a petition to UAE authorities and the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to express its disenchantment with the denial of airport approval.

    Bankole said in the petition, Medview sought for explanations why Nigerian government would grant multiple entry rights to UAE while local carriers were denied approval into Dubai.

    He said: ”We took this matter up; wrote the Ministry and NCAA and the matter was looked into. We sought to know why governments of other countries will protect their airlines, and Medview Airlines is being denied the approval to operate into the terminal we desired in Dubai.

    “ Government directed NCAA to apply the reciprocity clause in our bilateral air services agreement with the UAE and for fear that their carriers may suffer similar fate in Nigeria, they granted Medview rights to operate into Dubai Airport terminal one.

    “ If Nigerian government had not taken such necessary steps, Medview Airlines would have been shut out. This is what indigenous carriers suffer in the hands of some countries, all in a bid to protect their.

    “ It is time Nigerian government stepped up efforts to protect her carriers.”

    Bankole said though the airline’s operations into London remained challenging, the carrier would continue to confront the stiff competition on the route.

    He said: “Though we were granted four weekly frequency into London, it has come with a lot of challenges.

    “Though the big players are on that route, we will continue to step up our game to remain relevant on the route,” he said.

    He said the airline had signed an operational agreement with Euro Atlantic which would firm up efforts towards the airline flying into Lisbon and Portugal next year.

    Bankole said the agreement would assist Medview to connect flights into São Tomé and Principe.

    On the airline’s expansion plans, Bankole said: ”Very soon we will begin flights into Johannesburg in South Africa. We are also looking at our approval to consider flights very soon into either Baltimore, Washington and  Houston in the United States.

    “ This month, Medview will begin flights into Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar. Our Freetown operations is already running, the whole idea is to integrate our  routes in African countries.”

  • Emirates to restore second Lagos, Abuja daily flights 

    There are indications that Emirates Airlines  may restore its second daily flight on Lagos and Dubai route.

    The airline reduced its twice daily flight on the route last year due to financial and operational reasons.

    Apart from cutting Lagos flights, the airline stopped operating into Abuja.

    Emirates Regional Manager, West Africa Commercial Operations, Afzal Parambil, said in Lagos last week that the airline had opened discussions with teh government on the matter.

    The airline said it was working on restoring the flights following studies on operational viability of the affected routes.

    He said: ”We stopped our second flight between Lagos and Dubai because of operational reasons. We are discussing with the  Minister to restoring the routes. Very soon, you will hear from us on the matter.”

    Describing the route as the airline’s second largest market in Africa, he said operations in the country were not without some inherent challenges.

    He  cited trapped funds from ticket sales and other issues, which forced Emirates to stop flights into Abuja.

    He said: ”In the last years that we have operated flights into Nigeria, it has had its many challenges. Though our second largest market in Africa, it was painful last year when we stopped operations into Abuja, due largely to operational and economic reasons.

    “But, to sustain any flight operations, it must be operational viable. There is indeed possibility to return to Abuja.“

    He backed the plan by the Federal Government to float a national airline, saying the model to be adopted depends on the sustainability of the proposed carrier.

    “There are several models that a national carrier can follow, saying Emirates is an example of state owned carrier.”

    On the plan to get a huge chunk of the Chinese market, Parambili said the airline plays a huge role of bringing and taking passengers from Nigeria and add value to the Nigerian economy. We want to promote Nigeria as an investment destination.”

    Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines is offering its Nigerian travellers special fares on return Economy Class and Business Class tickets to select destinations across its network, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

    The airline is rolling out the special fares to celebrate what it termed a milestone in aviation history when it welcomes the delivery of its 100th A380 aircraft later this year.

  • Aeronautical academy coming in Bauchi  

    Bauchi State has opened discussions with  SIATA Aviation, Durban, South Africa  to establish a world-class aeronautical academy in the Northeast state.

    A team of experts are expected in the state to inspect the facilities on ground so as to finalise the partnership agreements.

    When established, the Academy will be the first of its kind in the whole of West Africa.

    According to the Governor,  Mohammed Abubakar, the flight academy will be located at Bauchi Airport for multi-crew pilot licence programme.

    The academy will also cater for training in aeronautical engineering advanced technology .

    According to the governor’s Special Assistant on Communications, Shamsuddeen  Lukman, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed after discussions on the project.

    Lukman said the  governor was  in Durban at the invitation of the South African academy to inspect the facility to be replicated at Bauchi Airport.

    He said the governor was accompanied by Hon. Ibrahim Bala Hassan and the Director-General of Bauchi State Investment Agency, Alhaji Aminu Musa.

    The statement reads:” He was taken round the modern facility of the academy and its fleet at Virginia Airport.

    “Part of the objectives of the partnership is to foster the Bauchi Pilot Cadet with development and programme with regard to the Aviation sector as a whole and opportunities that would benefit the state.

    “ Bauchi State will become an important hub bearing in mind the fact that the training centre  being the best in the region, will attract students from within and outside the country.

    “The partnership will assist in the development of the Bauchi youths as priority admission will be provided to them so in the near future Bauchi State will have trained pilots and aeronautic engineers.

    “ This will undoubtedly boost business and investment activities and opportunities in the state. The partnership is also expected to help in improving tourism activities in the state.

    “Tourists can easily take off from the Bauchi Airport in smaller aircrafts and land in Yankari Games Reserve within minutes, this will encourage more tourists to visit the state and Yankari Game Reserve in particular.”

  • ‘Training critical to aviation security’

    Former Director, Security Services, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), John Omaghomi, has urged the Federal Government to invest in the training of aviation security personnel. He described it as a critical component of airport security.

    According to Omaghomi, without requisite training, security personnel will be unable to respond to global threats to aviation security.

    Speaking last week during his pull out ceremony from FAAN, he said no amount of training could be too much for aviation security personnel, who needed to keep abreast of latest threats to global security, and strategies to address them.

    Omaghomi said only well- trained aviation security personnel could respond to emergencies professionally, because they have been equipped with the right skills and measures to contain any threat to air transportation.

    He urged aviation security personnel to remain dedicated and committed to their duties as the responsibility placed on their shoulders have assumed new dimensions because of the strategic role air transport plays in the global and national economies.

    Omaghomi said:”Training is a critical component in the role played by aviation security. It is for this reason we urge government to continue to invest in training to equip aviation security personnel with global measures to secure air transportation .

    “ This is critical because as threats to aviation secure remain static, there is the need to change containment measures  through time tested initiatives.”

    Also speaking, FAAN’s Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma described Omaghomi as a professional who brought his expertise to the airport security system.

    Speaking through the Director of Engineering Services, Salisu Daura, he said Omaghomi discharged his duties diligently through exemplary leadership and transfer of knowledge to improve the airport security architecture.

    Dunoma said: ”His vast contributions to FAAN accounts for the upgrading of the security unit into a directorate. He contributed immensely to the repositioning of aviation security.”

  • Emirates, flydubai codeshare routes

    With their partnership, Emirates will expand its network to 29 flydubai destinations in three continents.

    The new partnership  will offer greater frequency and easier access to more global destinations. Passengers can book on Emirates.com, or through Emirates’ Contact Centres or travel agents from October 29.

    The codeshare destinations include: Asmara; Belgrade ; Kiev ; Juba; Samara and Kazan.

    Others are : Prague ; Sarajevo ; Sofia ; Kuwait ; Muscat and Bucharest.

    Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and flydubai Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum  said: “This is an exciting first step in unlocking the benefits of the partnership for passengers who will have the opportunity to enjoy the unique advantages each airline offers as well as greater choice and flexibility when connecting via Dubai. This is just the start and as we expand the partner network in the coming months we will open up more opportunities for our passengers to explore the world.”

    Throughout the customer journey, Emirates and flydubai will deliver a product experience reflective of their unique brand characteristics. When booked together, as part of the codeshare, Emirates passengers will receive complimentary meals and the Emirates checked baggage allowance on flights operated by flydubai in Business and Economy classes.

    Connecting in Dubai’s aviation hub offers a smooth transfer experience and under the new partnership, passengers will benefit from a reduced minimum connection time between Emirates’ home in Terminal 3 and flydubai’s in Terminal 2 of 120 minutes.

    The announcement is an initial phase of the extensive agreement that will, in future phases, see the creation of additional city pair connections as the codeshare agreement is expanded and both airlines’ networks are optimised.

  • Car park opens at MMIA

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has opened a car park at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    FAAN built the six–level 1,300 capacity car park with Seymour Aviation Limited on a 30-year Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement.

    At the opening, FAAN’s Managing Director, represented by the Director of Engineering Services, Salisu Nurudeen Daura, said the facility would improve passenger facilitation and reduce the menace of indiscriminate parking at the airport. ‘Today’s event is a testament of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with FAAN and Seymour Aviation,” he said.

    He advised motorists to be careful while driving into the airport, as well as to arrive early to avoid the traffic caused by the ongoing construction on the Oshodi-Airport Road.

    In another development, FAAN plans to inaugurate a task force to check unauthorised activities  around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    This, according to the Airport Manager, Mrs. Victoria Shin-Aba, is to improve operations at the airport certified a few weeks ago.

    She said the committee became necessary to improve the status of the airport.

    Mrs Shin-Aba said vehicles would be moved to the new car park to ensure that nobody violates the law.

    She said accredited car hire operators would also be moved to a conducive area, saying  the airport authority would not accept a situation where car hire operators violate rules and regulations.

    Mrs. Shin-Aba said accredited airport car hire would be fitted with communication gadgets, to be coordinated by their officials, on picking and dropping passengers at the airport.

    According to her, Close Circuit Television Cameras will be mounted at strategic places to monitor activities of unwanted visitors.

  • Turkish Airlines extends stopover service to Nigerian passengers

    Turkish Airlines has extended its ‘Stopover’ service to include transfer passengers departing from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Australia, Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria travelling to selected destinations.

    The destinations include :  United States, Europe, South America,  United Kingdom,  Ireland, the Far East, Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

    According to the airline, passengers  travelling from Algeria, South Africa and Nigeria will have more than 20 hours of connection time in Istanbul.

    The airline said the service was previously offered to passengers departing from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Australia.

    According to the airline, passengers  will receive an accommodation voucher from Turkish Airlines’ authorised staff after booking their flight.

    Using the voucher,  the airline said economy class passengers will receive a one  night stay at a 4-star hotel; and business class passengers a two night stay at a 5-star hotel in Sultanahmet and Taksim; popular neighbourhoods widely regarded as the central points of Istanbul.

    Ahmet Olmustur, Turkish Airlines’ Chief Marketing Officer, said: “After receiving a positive response from our passengers we are excited to extend our ‘Stopover’ programme to more countries. We want to provide our passengers an opportunity to experience Turkish hospitality and other attractions that the beautiful city of Istanbul has to offer. We are confident that our passengers will benefit from our service and will make the most out of it.”

    Olmustur said Turkish Airlines will continue to introduce measures to further improve customer satisfaction rates. Hesaid the global carrier picked up the world’s “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” Skytrax award in 2017 for the third consecutive year according to this year’s survey results.

    According to the results of the global survey, the customer satisfaction rate for the food & beverage services that Turkish Airlines offer at the Lounge has increased by seven per cent  to 89 per cent .