The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Benefits of IATA membership, by Dana Air

    Accountable Manager, Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo, has described  the airline’s membership of the International Air Transport Association (IATA)  as  a milestone to demonstrate its professionalism and commitment to operational efficiency.

    In an interview, Mbanuzuo said the IATA membership came two years after the airline passed the  International Operations Safety Audit (IOSA) and was admitted into the association’s global safety registry.

    Mbanuzuo said: “Becoming  a member of IATA is a significant milestone for us at Dana Air and this only demonstrates our level of professionalism and commitment to operational efficiency in terms of  providing our guests with safe, seamless and world-class air transport service in Nigeria.

    “Apart from the fact that this membership will further strengthen our relationship with other international airlines, we see it as an opportunity to take our amazing products to the global stage through interline and code-share agreements.’

    “You would recall that Dana Air is the first and only Nigerian airline to have undergone an operational audit conducted by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and its foreign partners – The Flight Safety Group, and we are determined to reinforce our strategic route network within and beyond Nigeria.’’

    Dana Air has launched a Special Services Unit to attend to passengers with special needs, urgent complaints, update passengers on current promos and benefits of Dana Miles at the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo and Owerri.

  • ‘How to handle emergency response management’

    ‘How to handle emergency response management’

    Aerodrome rescue and fire fighters play critical roles  in emergency response management.This critical role is, however, hampered by a myriad of challenges. At a conference in Lagos last week,experts said effective communication of airport emergency plan and review of airports’ aircraft emergency response procedures bring about a paradigm shift, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR, reports 

    HoW to execute the Airport Emergency Plans (AEP) topped discussions  at the Aviation Stakeholders Strategic Conference held last week in Lagos.

    Experts, including officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) agreed on proper communication of airport emergency plans.

    The forum, focused on Aircraft Emergency Management was organised by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN’s) Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) in Lagos.

    Poor communication of airport emergency plans, experts said, affects aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel while accessing accidents sites.

    Failure to address this gap, they said, would continued hamper efforts by aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel at mobilising men and materials to crash sites.

    Besides, the government had designed a new template that would define the roles to be played by aviation and other response agencies during  crashes.

    The new initiative, it was learnt, is part of measures by Nigeria to inch towards global strategies to be deployed in mitigating  poor coordination in aircraft response emergency management.

    To drive the new arrangement, the FAAN  disclosed that it had begun the review of emergency procedures at airports.

    Its Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, said the review became necessary because of challenges in aircraft emergencies handling.

    He said the airport authority should carry other agencies along in the implementation of the plan to put them on the same page on the procedures for handling aircraft accidents and incidents.

    He said FAAN would continue to equip its aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel with the requisite skills and manpower to discharge its responsibilities as a critical component of airport safety and security.

    Saleh said the conference provided an opportunity for the personnel to engage industry players on the best ways to discharge their responsibilities.

    He said: “The emergency procedure for all our airports are already being reviewed and improved upon. We shall work with our personnel to further improve our awareness, readiness and compliance with the best emergency management procedures in the industry.

    “FAAN will strive  to continuously improve the relationship with stakeholders with respect to the successful management of aircraft  to ensure safety of airport operations and airports.”

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)Managing Director, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, said the AEP,to succeed, should be a collective efforts between internal and external agencies.

    Akinkuotu said other agencies’personnel should cooperate with the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Service to respond to aircraft emergencies.

    He said without the collaboration, handling emergencies could be an uphill task.

    Akinkuotu said: “It is for this reason that the International  Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) emphasises Airport Collaboration Decision Making (A-CDM) as the most effective strategy in achieving an inclusive effective development of customer – centric Airport and Air Navigation Service Development plan. Such initiative  is in the interest of international civil aviation.”

    He said the conference was expected to provide a blueprint that would entrench stakeholders’ collaboration decision making methodology for the greater benefit of the international and domestic flight operations.

    Also, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General, Capt. Muhtar Usman, said the regulator would continue to provide the enabling environment for all agencies to discharge their responsibilities during aircraft emergencies.

    He said Nigeria was would ensure that the relevant agencies have the required men and materials to undertake emergencies.

    Usman said: “NCAA is delighted that the conference was held after the successful conduct of simulated full scale emergency exercise at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on May 31.

    “This is good because it came at a time  the Lagos Airport  is on the verge of being certified NCAA after the fulfillment of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) regulation on Aerodrome certification.  Aircraft Emergency Management  is critical  to safety of flight operations and business continuity at the airport.

    “In order to achieve robust and effective aircraft emergency management at the airport level, inter –agency collaboration, meetings, seminars/conference and regular exercises is absolutely indispensable.”

    An Aerodrome Rescue  and Fire-Fighting specialist from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Washington DC, Marc Tonnacliff, said training was key to developing capacity for personnel involved in aircraft emergency response management.

    According to the FAA official, for Nigerian aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel to handle aircraft emergencies, they must be familiar with the airport environment.

    He said a situation aerodrome rescue and fire-fighting personnel were heading in various directions during an aircraft emergency was an evidence of poor understanding of the environment.

    The FAA expert canvassed effective communication among the emergency stakeholders during aircraft crashes.

    Former Acting General Manager, Aerodrome Rescue and Fighting Services, FAAN, Akinlabi Akinselure, said lack of coordination and overcrowding at accident scenes remained a problem.

    He said there was the need to create a forum for emergency responders where issues pertaining to providing mutual assistance at times of emergencies could be discussed.

    Besides the forum, Akinselure canvassed education of emergency responders on their roles in accordance with the Aerodrome Emergency Plan as well as the need to key into the plan for effective and efficient handling of emergencies.

    He said: “Experience has shown over the years that each time the  aerodrome emergency  plan was tested as required by the ICAO and the NCAA, series of problems including reluctance to respond to emergency call and where there were responses, there was lack of understanding on how to key into the aerodrome emergency plan.

    “All these resulted in lack of coordination of the exercise and overcrowding of the entire scene of the emergency.

    “ We continue to insist that though emergency response is the business of all and everyone is needed but not everyone is needed at the scene of the emergency.”

     

  • Dana Air trains more pilots

    Dana Air has trained more Nigerian pilots in Johannesburg, South Africa and Madrid, Spai, its Accountable Manager, Mr. Obi Mbanuzuo, has said.

    The training, according to him, is part of its efforts to contribute to the growth to the industry.

    Also,the airline has introduced a Special Services Unit, consisting of well-trained personnel to, among others, attend to passengers with special needs, urgent complaints, update passengers on promos and benefits of Dana Miles at Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo and Owerriaiports.

    Mbanuzuo said: ‘’Dana Air is committed to the growth and development of the aviation industry. As at 2015, more than 500 Nigerian pilots were unemployed, but with our recruitment and frequent training both locally and abroad since then, we have been able to reduce the number by engaging these pilots and paying for their training in South Africa and Spain.

    “We will continue to encourage professionalism in the industry and support our Nigerian pilots to ensure constant growth and development in the industry.’’

    Obi added: “We introduced the Special Services Unit to further deepen customer service, offer multiple issue-solving options and provide seamless travel experience for our teeming passengers.’’

     

  • Ethiopian Airlines plans to take over Arik

    Ethiopian Airlines plans to take over Arik

    The Management of Ethiopian Airlines has submitted a formal proposal to take charge of troubled carrier Arik Air, which accounts for more than half of air passenger in Nigeria, according to official statistics.

    Speaking to the media, Esayas WoldeMariam, Ethiopian Airlines’ managing director of international services, said the airline has outlined its terms and conditions to the Nigerian government and waiting for its response on the matter.

    “We are capable and desirous of handling the airline,” WoldeMariam noted without specifying details of the offer.

    The Ethiopian Airline chief said he expects competition for Arik from international airlines.

    Arik is operated by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since government’s bailout in February.

    The bailout was forced by a prolonged crisis occasioned by cancelled services, unpaid staff salaries and mounting debt.

    Arik’s Managing Director, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, said in August the company had stabilized under AMCON’s leadership, with “services running smoothly and salaries paid.”

  • Airport certification’ll cut insurance premium, says FAAN MD

    Airport certification’ll cut insurance premium, says FAAN MD

    Insurance premium charged operators in the Nigerian aviation sector ranks among the highest in the world. However, certification of aerodromes would reduce the huge premium, says Airport Council International(ACI) President, Saleh Dunoma.

    The certification will also boost  confidence of the aviation community to fly into the airports.

    The certification of the airports is based on safety and it is required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to restore its  confidence to international airline operators in the airports.

    Dunoma said there were some open items that must to be closed, stressing that some of them have to do with procedures.

    For instance, if you say you have Category Nine fire service, you must make sure you have it at such category, in terms of equipment, number of people, in terms of your documentation and your processes.

    “So, if there are gaps in that, you have to make sure you close them. There are so many of them in so many areas.

    “On the airfield, we have those that have do with the airfield lightings and the runway itself, on personnel, documentation, training, and on maintenance. There are so many covering the entire aspect of airport operations. As we speak, there are only few of them that needed to be closed”.

    Dunoma, who is also the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), listed funds constraints as one of the challenges the agency faced in the certification processes. He noted that at the beginning, they thought they might not need much resources but at the end of the day, after the assessment, they discovered that they had a lot to do.

    The only thing, he stated that they needed to do was to make provisions in their budget as special fund to address the certification, adding that once they got the assessment and the fund provided, their engineers will swing into action.

    The engineers, he disclosed, came with the estimate of how some of the technical issues, some of the documentation and some of the new things they need to provide to make sure that they close the gaps

    He said as far as ACI is concerned, they are getting ready and would make sure that they comply with all standards given to them by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    He said: “Certification is important. We would not know that there are lot of things-little things that we needed to do to make sure that we close all such items.

    “Without the assessment, we would never know that there are open items. With certification, everything was looked into, including documentation, sometimes, a telephone number for example in the emergency contact telephone numbers.”

    He reiterated that certification is making sure that everything is current and checked on regular basis.

    “It is not only getting the certificate but sustenance of the certificate is important. Yes, we have worked hard that we close the items, but we must sustain it.

    “Also, what is important is the currency in terms of training of personnel. We must make sure that all personnel are properly trained. If you acquire an equipment, for example, we must make sure that people that will operate the machine are trained on that particular machine”.

  • NCAA DG: Nigeria to join aircraft carbon emissions implementation by 2021

    Nigeria has notified the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of its intention to  join the aircraft carbon emission programme from 2021.

    Nigerian  Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General,Capt Muhtar Usman said Nigeria was leading in the development of action on carbon emission mitigation in measures for countries accredited for ICAO Western and Central African ( WACAF) office and Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS).

    The programme is organised by  ICAO, under the template  known as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction  Scheme International Aviation (CORSIA).

    He said the implementation of CORSIA will enable Nigeria to be on the same page with global players in the move to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change.

    Besides State Action Plans by member states, Usman listed other efforts to include development of basket of measures to address carbon emissions from international aviation through aircraft technology; operational improvements; sustainable alternative fuel for aviation and a global scheme already in place.

    He said workshop/seminar had been designed to provide national action plan focal points for aviation industry stakeholders with practical input on the calculation of the carbon emissions baseline.

    Usman said ICAO member states are expected to share information on CORSIA’s design elements and implementation aspects.

    This, he said, include, work being undertaken on the development of standards and recommended practices (SARPs) and guidance material for CORSIA implementation

    He said the discussions among ICAO members would provide opportunity for the participating state to share their experiences in the development of action plans and existing readiness to implement CORSIA as well as conduct an assessment of assistance needs.

    He assured that Nigeria is committed to actively provide dynamic, purposeful and imaginative leadership in addressing the challenges posed by emissions from aviation and climate change in the West African sub region.

    He said : “As we all may be aware, aviation plays an essential role in the economic growth and market access for the world economy. The rapid growth of air travel in recent years however contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation. Thus, decided to provide leadership to undertake efforts to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change.”

    Also, Air Transport, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Director Tefera Mekonen Tefera said the task of the commission is to ensure that member states develop and submit to ICAO their States’Action Plans on CO2 emissions reduction measures before June 2018.

    Tefera said the secretariat was mandated to implement the task in liaison with ICAO and other stakeholders.

    He said 11 states were yet to complete their Action Plans from the ICAO-WACAF region.

    “AFCAC took a decision to collaborate with ICAO and ECOWAS to build capacity and assist these member states having challenges in developing their State Action Plans as well as to facilitate the engagement of the ‘ICAO Buddy Programme’ among States.

  • Airport certification’ll cut insurance premium, says FAAN MD

    Airport certification’ll cut insurance premium, says FAAN MD

    Insurance premium charged operators in the Nigerian aviation sector ranks among the highest in the world. However, certification of aerodromes would reduce the huge premium, says Airport Council International(ACI) President, Saleh Dunoma.

    The certification will also boost  confidence of the aviation community to fly into the airports.

    The certification of the airports is based on safety and it is required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to restore its  confidence to international airline operators in the airports.

    Dunoma said there were some open items that must to be closed, stressing that some of them have to do with procedures.

    For instance, if you say you have Category Nine fire service, you must make sure you have it at such category, in terms of equipment, number of people, in terms of your documentation and your processes.

    “So, if there are gaps in that, you have to make sure you close them. There are so many of them in so many areas.

    “On the airfield, we have those that have do with the airfield lightings and the runway itself, on personnel, documentation, training, and on maintenance. There are so many covering the entire aspect of airport operations. As we speak, there are only few of them that needed to be closed”.

    Dunoma, who is also the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), listed funds constraints as one of the challenges the agency faced in the certification processes. He noted that at the beginning, they thought they might not need much resources but at the end of the day, after the assessment, they discovered that they had a lot to do.

    The only thing, he stated that they needed to do was to make provisions in their budget as special fund to address the certification, adding that once they got the assessment and the fund provided, their engineers will swing into action.

    The engineers, he disclosed, came with the estimate of how some of the technical issues, some of the documentation and some of the new things they need to provide to make sure that they close the gaps

    He said as far as ACI is concerned, they are getting ready and would make sure that they comply with all standards given to them by Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA).

    He said: “Certification is important. We would not know that there are lot of things-little things that we needed to do to make sure that we close all such items.

    “Without the assessment, we would never know that there are open items. With certification, everything was looked into, including documentation, sometimes, a telephone number for example in the emergency contact telephone numbers.”

    He reiterated that certification is making sure that everything is current and checked on regular basis.

    “It is not only getting the certificate but sustenance of the certificate is important. Yes, we have worked hard that we close the items, but we must sustain it.

    “Also, what is important is the currency in terms of training of personnel. We must make sure that all personnel are properly trained. If you acquire an equipment, for example, we must make sure that people that will operate the machine are trained on that particular machine”.

  • AIB probes São Tomé crash

    Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said it has been invited by the government of São Tomé and Principe to investigate the crash of an aircraft in its country because of it’s leading role in the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA).

    The group is an arm of the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO ).

    Its Commissioner, Akin Olateru disclosed this in an interview with The Nation.

    Olateru said all costs and expense associated with the investigation would be borne 100 per cent by the government of São Tomé and Principe.

    Describing the invitation as the “first of its kind” in AIB’s history, he said it came on the heels of the rising performance of the Bureau as a leader in accident investigation across the sub-Saharan region.

    He said AIB was pleased to be called upon to assist a sister African country, adding that the agency was just living up to its billing as a pacesetter in the sub region.

    “We are very pleased to be invited by BAGAIA to carry out this investigation, which is in recognition of, and an explicit expression of confidence in our capabilities and professionalism.

    “Without gainsaying, this opportunity to serve will further build AIB’s capacity as it provides a platform for practical learning, develops and enhances the skills set and knowledge base of our accident investigators thereby increasing competency and promoting professionalism across the board.

    “We are very mindful of BAGAIA’s expectation of us and from individual African countries alike; we cannot afford to let them down.

  • NCAA DG: Nigeria to join aircraft carbon emissions implementation by 2021

    Nigeria has notified the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of its intention to  join the aircraft carbon emission programme from 2021.

    Nigerian  Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Director-General,Capt Muhtar Usman said Nigeria was leading in the development of action on carbon emission mitigation in measures for countries accredited for ICAO Western and Central African ( WACAF) office and Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS).

    The programme is organised by  ICAO, under the template  known as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction  Scheme International Aviation (CORSIA).

    He said the implementation of CORSIA will enable Nigeria to be on the same page with global players in the move to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change.

    Besides State Action Plans by member states, Usman listed other efforts to include development of basket of measures to address carbon emissions from international aviation through aircraft technology; operational improvements; sustainable alternative fuel for aviation and a global scheme already in place.

    He said workshop/seminar had been designed to provide national action plan focal points for aviation industry stakeholders with practical input on the calculation of the carbon emissions baseline.

    Usman said ICAO member states are expected to share information on CORSIA’s design elements and implementation aspects.

    This, he said, include, work being undertaken on the development of standards and recommended practices (SARPs) and guidance material for CORSIA implementation

    He said the discussions among ICAO members would provide opportunity for the participating state to share their experiences in the development of action plans and existing readiness to implement CORSIA as well as conduct an assessment of assistance needs.

    He assured that Nigeria is committed to actively provide dynamic, purposeful and imaginative leadership in addressing the challenges posed by emissions from aviation and climate change in the West African sub region.

    He said : “As we all may be aware, aviation plays an essential role in the economic growth and market access for the world economy. The rapid growth of air travel in recent years however contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation. Thus, decided to provide leadership to undertake efforts to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change.”

    Also, Air Transport, African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Director Tefera Mekonen Tefera said the task of the commission is to ensure that member states develop and submit to ICAO their States’Action Plans on CO2 emissions reduction measures before June 2018.

    Tefera said the secretariat was mandated to implement the task in liaison with ICAO and other stakeholders.

    He said 11 states were yet to complete their Action Plans from the ICAO-WACAF region.

    “AFCAC took a decision to collaborate with ICAO and ECOWAS to build capacity and assist these member states having challenges in developing their State Action Plans as well as to facilitate the engagement of the ‘ICAO Buddy Programme’ among States.

  • Emirates to deploy extra flights

    Emirates Airlines is deploy extra flights to Jeddah to help facilitate travel for thousands of pilgrims to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

    The airline disclosed this in a statement.

    According to the statement, Emirates will be operating 45 additional flights to Jeddah and 12 additional flights to Medina till September 11, to help serve the two million pilgrims for Hajj.

    These services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah. The airline will also be operating its A380 to Medina which will also support the increased demand during this period.

    The additional services are available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

    This year, top inbound destinations Emirates is expecting Hajj pilgrims to come from Yangon, Manchester, Mauritius, Jakarta, Karachi, Lagos and Nairobi.