The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • The national carrier dream

    The national carrier dream

    The Buhari Administration is dreaming of giving the country a national carrier, many years after the demise of Nigeria Airways.Can it realise the dream within the two years left for it to complete its first term? KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports

    Approval ratings in the sector in the last two years have been high because of the government’s efforts  to revolutionise infrastructure at airports.

    With the rehabilitation of the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja in just six weeks, the government received kudos.

    Industry watchers say aviation has been upbeat in the last two years in terms of events, activities and strides recorded by the government in repositioning the sector as a catalyst for socio-economic development.

    In the period under review, operators assessed the industry from how the policies affected indigenous and foreign carriers as well as other issues that shaped developments in the industry.

    To them, from an operational point of view, domestic carriers had unsavoury experience in the last two years. Domestic carriers, they said, experienced increasing cost of operations occasioned by the oscillating price of aviation fuel and access to foreign exchange using the official window of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    The inability to access foreign exchange  did not only affect domestic carriers, many foreign airlines had difficulty in repatriating over $750 million ticket sales to their home base.

    Last year,  matters came to a head when the International Air Transport Association ( IATA) wrote to the government to intervene to enable foreign carriers remit funds to their headquarters.

     

    Abuja Airport Runway

    The greatest achievement is the timely closure and rebuilding of the Abuja Airport runway.

    The runway, according to the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was long overdue for overhaul, having outlived its life span of 20. The runway built 34 years ago had become a source of concern for many domestic and foreign carriers before it was rebuilt.

    Prior to the rebuilding of the runway, the government had engaged foreign carriers, which declined to operate from Kaduna Airport, the alternate aerodrome.

    Foreign carriers, including British Airways, Air France/KLM, South African Airways, and Lufthansa  German Airlines, declined to fly into Kaduna Airport because of inadequate logistics and security.

    But Ethiopian Airlines braced the odds and operated flights from and into Kaduna Airport for six weeks before the Abuja Airport was re- opened.

    The government also completed the new international terminal at Kaduna Airport.

    During the construction of the terminal, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo toured the facility to ensure its timely completion.

    Sirika, however, said the government was determined to ensure completion of all ongoing  airport projects.

     

    National carrier /airports concession

    The government to set up a national carrier and appointed transaction advisers to midwife the formation of a national airline as well as the proposed concession of airports.

    Sirika said transaction advisers were expected to make the process attractive to the private sector and transparent.

    Though these projects are yet to be delivered, there is discontent among former workers of liquidated national carrier – Nigeria Airways Limited.

    The former workers are yet to be fully paid their entitlements of about N78 billion. Although controversies still surround the payment of the outstanding entitlements, experts said their payment could be the greatest achievement of the Buhari administration.

    But, trouble may be brewing on concession of airports as unions are opposed to the modalities for the appointment of transaction advisers.

    The unions have alleged underhand moves by the government to concession airports, which they described as selling off of national patrimony.

    The unions have mobilised against plans by the government to concession airports.

    The opposition by the unions is predicated on the assumption that concession of airports may lead to job loss for their members.

     

    Re-election of Nigerian  as ICAO Council President

    A Nigerian and former Director of Air Transport Regulations (DATR), NCAA, Dr Bernard Olumuyiwa Aliu was re-elected as President of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). He is the first African and Nigerian to get such exalted position in the global aviation body.

    He has since assumption duties, rolled out several initiatives to assist ICAO member-states, including Nigeria, with the “No country is left out safety Programme.”

    ICAO has designed many programmes for training of Nigerian aerodrome-certified auditors and inspectors. Several exchange programmes have been organised for the personnel in many areas outside aerodrome operations, airworthiness and aviation security.

     

     FAAN boss appointed 

    Airport Council International African President

    The Managing  Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, was appointed African President  of Airports Council International (ACI), the global airports regulator.

    His election was in recognition of the role Nigeria plays in aviation on the continent.

    The ACI position has, no doubt, assisted Nigeria to turn around its airports in dire need of rehabilitation.

    Nigeria was elected into safety rating. Nigeria was catapulted into the league of civil aviation nations. It joined the elite group of aviation nations in its civil aviation oversight responsibilities.

    Nigeria stepped up its global civil aviation safety rating by attaining  level three in State Safety Programme (SSP) implementation process.

    With this achievement, the NCAA will  continue to ensure that air transportation in Nigeria is seamless, safe and secure.

    The NCAA  said only two-member states – Australia and Sri Lanka – have achieved full implementation of the SSP according to ICAO records.

     

    Indigenous operators

    designated on international routes

    At a time, experts in the industry were complaining about lopsided bilateral air services agreements. To correct the imbalance, the government has designated more domestic carriers on some international routes, including Lagos-London, Dubai, Jeddah, New York, Japan  and other destinations. The benefitting carriers include Medview Airlines and  Air Peace.

    In an interview, Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, described the designation of indigenous operators on international routes as one of the major achievements of the Buhari administration.

    Onyema said: “What the government should do is to create an enabling environment for private sector airlines to thrive.

    “The government must create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.”

     

    New foreign carriers

     in Nigeria

    In the period under review, two foreign carriers have joined the league of operators in Nigeria. They inlcude Air Meridien, an Italian carrier and Gambia  carrier, Fly Mid Africa. The African carrier, which started operations recently connects passengers from Banjul, to other connections in Dakar, Freetown, Accra and other destinations.

     

    Operators, govt

    collaborate

    Despite complaints by domestic operators about the unhealthy business environment, the umbrella body of indigenous carriers, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), said the government had done well in fixing some sore points in the sector.

    Its Executive Chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison, said: “We pray that the government needs to reappraise the way it sees air transportation and accord it the support it truly deserves as done in other climes.

    “Airlines provide critical socio-economic services and should not be treated as a cash cow and strangled out of existence by multiple taxes, levies and charges that are sometimes forced on the airlines without due consultations.

    “In the light of the above, we therefore appeal to the Federal Government to assist the airlines by taking a critical look into this issue of multiple charges and come to the aid of airlines by having a single window.”

     

    Arik/Aero take over by AMCON

    One of the defining moments in the sector is the take over of Aero Airlines and Arik by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

    Scores of workers in Aero Airlines were sacked under AMCON management as part of strategies to keep the airline afloat.

    Unions for over a week protested the sack, alleging mismanagement of the carrier, its old owners and the receiver manager.

    From its profile as the oldest indigenous carrier, Aero Airlines operational performance has dwindled in the last few years.

    The take-over of Arik Air by AMCON  is one of the developments in the sector that cannot be ignored.

    The sector is yet to recover from the challenges facing the industry’s  biggest carriers.

    What will become of Arik Air under the management of AMCON remains to be seen by industry watchers .

    The sector has had its twists and turns under the Buhari administration. From operational and safety point of view, many domestic carriers attained international safety ratings from the International Air Transport Association ( IATA) .

    The airlines that passed the safety audit include Air Peace, Medview, DANA Air, Overland Airways, First Nation Airways and others.

  • Turning old aircraft into new

    Turning old aircraft into new

    Nigeria has statistics of old aircraft operating in the country. There is a push for the replacement of such ageing aircraft. A leading  aircraft manufacturer suggests that operators  could  alter the equation by embracing fleet modernisation, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports 

    The argument for and against  the age of an aircraft and its safety performance continues to dominate the discussion in the aviation world.

    Concern is growing over safety because of the preponderance of old aircraft dominating the fleet of both active and inactive airline operators.

    Data from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), showed that over 150 airlines, both scheduled and unscheduled operators, have operated in the country’s airspace since commercial aviation started almost a century ago.

    These airlines operated various aircraft types to match their schedules. Either Boeing, Airbus, Fokker, McDonald, Douglas, Embraer, Bombardier, BAC 1-11, ATR or DORNIER, a common denominator among them  is the use of old airplanes.

    Old aircraft are not fashionable among global airlines for sundry reasons, which among are – fuel consumption, maintenance costs, and the effects on the environment.           Nigeria, however,  is slow in the march towards fleet modern-isation. A few years ago, the government imposed a 22-year-old ban on any aircraft that must be brought into the country. The move, according to  NCAA, wss to ensure that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground for old aircraft.

    But major aircraft manufacturers such as  Boeing Corporation, are worried over the dominance of old aircraft in operators’ fleet in Africa, including Nigeria.

    It’s concern was predicated on the economics of running airlines with  ageing fleet, which it said will not improve profit margins. Boeing Aircraft constitutes over 60 per cent of the airplane  in the fleet of indigenous carriers.

    Many domestic carriers have the Boeing 737,  500, 400, 300, and 800 series in their fleet.

    Majority of the active domestic carriers such as Arik Air, Aero Airlines, Air Peace, AZMAN Air, Medview Airlines and Hak Air  have Boeing aircraft dominating their fleet.

    First Nation Airways operates an all Airbus fleet. Overland Airways, on its part operates the ATR propeller aircraft type, whereas DANA Air operates an all MD83 and MD 82 fleet.

    Besides the popularity of the Boeing aircraft type, a report by the manufacturer suggested that there is a preponderance  of old in Nigeria ‘s airspace.

    Apart from Arik Air, with the youngest airplanes of an average age of less than  eight years, other airlines parade older aircraft  in their fleet. They are flying aircraft of between 10 to 15 years.

    The debate over the age of an aircraft and its effects on safety may continue to generate debate, investigations revealed that Boeing  is encouraging operators to key into its ageing aircraft phase-out scheme.

    A few years ago, Boeing advised African carriers , including Nigerian operators, to modernise their fleet in order to be able to compete on routes dominated particularly by foreign carriers.

    Boeing observed that the current fleet in Nigeria has averaged nearly 20 years, pointing out that such  20- year-old aircraft could not be fuel efficient. It said at a time operators are looking at ways to navigate the prohibitive cost of fuel, operators of such aged aircraft may not be able to make profit.

    The modern trend, Boeing said, is for operators to demand for new fuel efficient jets .

    A study by Boeing revealed that twin – aisle planes will account for 32 per cent of new planes in Africa in the next 20 years, compared with 23 per cent globally.

    According to Boeing, many factors drive the demand for replacement of old aircraft. Age, according to the corporation, is one, but other factors include relative airplane economics, maintenance requirements and overall market environment. It said in recent  years, high fuel costs have played a larger role in influencing decisions to remove airplanes from service.

    Boeing’s push for refleeting, is predicated on the fact that newer aircraft are more cost effective for operators in terms of fueling, maintenance and insurance, among other considerations.

    It is debatable whether Nigerian carriers have embraced this old aircraft phase out scheme being pushed by Boeing Corporation.

    Despite the Cape Town Convention instrument, which makes it easy for Nigerian operators to acquire relatively newer aircraft, investigations have revealed that some operators prefer to acquire old aircraft sourced through leasing companies in America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world.

    Findings also revealed that using old aircraft is not profitable for Nigerian operators. Reasons: increased fuel consumption, high insurance premium, prohibitive costs of offshore aircraft maintenance and crew compatibility, among other factors.

    An expert, who wished for anonymity,  said NCAA needs to push operators to embrace the Boeing Corporation old aircraft phased out programme, arguing that other countries have embraced the programme, bringing about relatively newer airplanes to dominate their airspace.

    Apart from the 22-year age limit set by the government for  aircraft a few years ago, old airplanes are a common place in Nigerian airspace.

    The NCAA said efforts have been in place over the years to encourage indigenous operators modernise their fleet.

    In an electronic mail message, an official of NCAA said the authority does not have the age chart for aircraft operating in Nigeria.

    The message reads : ”I do not have the age chart for aircraft on the fleet of our domestic operators. However, the NCAA has always assisted operators to acquire new fleet. This was put in place through the Cape Town Convention, which Nigeria signed many years ago.

    ”This was what Arik benefited from . Under the programme, the NCAA serves as guarantor to the operator. I can assure you that the 22-year age limit on aircraft brought into the country still stands,”he said.

    Investigations by The Nation revealed that Arik Air has the youngest fleet among the carriers . Arik Air has 13 Boeing aircraft in its fleet The  fleet consists new genera-tion nine Boeing 737-700 aircraft, four Boeing 737 – 800 aircraft with two Airbus 340 – 500 and Airbus 330 -200.

    Arik also parades five Canadian regional jets, otherwise known as CRJ 900 and four De Havilland (DHC -8-400 ) airplanes.

    Besides Arik Air, another operator, Air Peace, has mainly Boeing 737 -300 and Boeing 737-500 series in its fleet . Of its 10 operating aircraft, nine are Boeing airplanes with a single DORNIER – 328 jet.

    Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, said the airline will continue to acquire relatively new Boeing aircraft to boost its operations, adding that the desire to parade newer aircraft, prompted the airline to acquire a Boeing 777 aircraft, to operate its intercontinental flights.

    Another operator , Allied Air, also operate an all Boeing fleet. Allied Air has in its fleet three Boeing 737 -400 aircraft.

    A few months  ago before the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria ( AMCON) took over its management, the oldest indigenous operator – Aero Airlines, had eight Boeing aircraft in its fleet. The Aero fleet were mainly Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737 – 500.

    AZMAN Air, on its part,  has an all Boeing fleet, consisting of the Boeing 737-500 and 737 – 300 series.

    Another major operator, Medview Airlines, also has an all Boeing fleet, consisting of the 737- 400, 600 and 500 Boeing series .

    Investigations also revealed that Max Air, has mainly Boeing airplanes in its fleet, in the 300 and 400 series’ configuration.

    Though, it is yet to take off, due to litigation over the circumstances under which it secured its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) from the NCAA, Hak Air has four Boeing 737 -400 aircraft in its fleet.

    Industry experts are however worried that the airline may have brought into the country very old aircraft, which are currently grounded at the Tarmac of the Lagos Domestic Terminal.

    The Nation investigations also revealed that other airlines including, Kabo Air, IRS Airlines, Chanchangi Airlines, have the oldest aircraft in their fleet.

  • AIS World VP laments  personnel shortage  

    The Vice President of the International Federation of Aeronautical Information Management (IFAIMA),  Alhaji Kabiru Yahaya Gusau has called for the engagement of more personnel into the Aeronautical Information Management in oder to boost its operations.

    Speaking at the occasion marking the World Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) Day in Lagos, Gusau said the organisa-tion  lacked personnel as a result of aging workforce in the system.

    He said the shortage of personnel has created a lot of vacuum that needed to be addressed in order to enable it meet the changes in the system as it has transformed from Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) to Aeronautical Information Management (AIM)

    Gusau also called for the licensing of personnel of AIS adding,  that licensing them will enable take responsibility of any action which would be traced to them while discharging their duties.

  • Manpower gap threatening aviation

    Manpower gap threatening aviation

    Despite its estimated 180 million people, Nigeria is lagging behind in the replacement of ageing skilled aviation professionals. As the last set of multiple-instrument-rated pilots, flight dispatchers, and aircraft engineers, trained many decades ago exits the scene, experts say the regulatory authority must urgenly address the yawning gap, Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports

    Nigeria is in dire need of certified professionals  with decades of experience in various aircraft types.

    The development is a cause of concern for the government, airlines, regulatory authorities as well as aircraft manufacturers.

    As a result, a new army of expatriates has swarmed on the industry like locusts, with the attendant huge personnel costs to airlines and effects on the economy through capital flight. Unless urgent steps are taken, experts posit, the industry will pay a high price.

    At a stakeholders forum in Abuja, Minister of State, Aviation, Captain Hadi Sirika, had said ageing workforce and dearth of professionals were some of the headaches the government should address in the sector. He said the government should intervene because the problem was threatening the country’s push to become a  hub in the West and Central African sub-regions, adding that steps should be taken to close the gap.

    Sirika said: ”The aviation sector in Nigeria is plagued by dearth of skilled professionals and ageing workforce. Our intervention strategy is to put efforts in place to set up an aerospace university. The university will specifically produce the needed workforce for better efficiency. Another way to achieve this, is with technical and management support of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and some donor nations. This will help us leverage in the capacity of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology as an ICAO regional training centre.”

    A study by one of the major aircraft manufacturers has also raised the alarm over the failure of the country’s regulatory body to design a programme to address the ageing professional workforce.

    According to the study, most of those trained by the defunct national carrier who worked in many rested domestic carriers, have either retired or resigned. The study noted that the last batch of such professionals, who were attached to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), are due for retirement.

    Sirika said since the liquidation of Nigeria Airways Limited in 2003, the training of technical professionals, including pilots, aircraft engineers and others, has taken the back seat.

    Experts said the absence of a replacement programme by the NCAA for ageing workforce was not good for the sector. They however attributed the inability to replace ageing professionals to lack of capacity by the two training institutions, as well as absence of a functional national carrier.

    The training institutions are the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology ( NCAT), Zaria in Kaduna State and International Aviation College (IAC) in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    In other climes, the government designs a policy to boost aviation professionals’ training  to service the industry as well as package them as human resource to earn foreign exchange, it was gathered.

    In Ethiopia, over 100 of its  aviation professionals are trained at the academy in Addis Ababa yearly.

    The experts consisting of pilots, air traffic controllers, cabin crew, apart from providing the backbone for Ethiopian Airlines, its national carrier, remit 10 per cent of their earnings for the training of younger professionals yearly.

    Last year, Ethiopian Aviation Academy graduated 47 pilots, 92 maintenance technicians, 50 crew and 133 marketing professionals.

    This year, it graduated 452.

    The academy in Dubai trains workers for organisations such as  Emirates.

    According to the NCAA, Nigeria has 2, 226 active licensed pilots, 1,532 licensed aircraft maintenance engineers, 543 licensed flight dispatchers, 313 licensed air traffic controllers, 1888 licensed cabin crew, 254 licensed air traffic safety electronic personnel and 100 aeronautical station operators personnel.

    Experts said these were grossly inadequate given Nigeria’s place in global aviation.

    Worried over the trend, NCAA Director- General Captain Muktar Usman said: ”The NCAA will pursue its four point agenda, which will be primarily driven by the need to focus on prioritisation of training, which will remain a key project for  the authority.

    “This will help us to address industry replacement for ageing professionals and put in place a programme to achieve the acceleration of the next generation of professionals.”

    Also, the Aeronautical Division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has called on the government to address the challenge of ageing workforce, saying the development has become worrisome in the sector.

    Its President, Bola Bido, who stated this in an interview, decried the high rate of ageing workforce in the aviation sector, appealing to state governments  to embark on the training of Aeronautical engineers in aviation colleges to replenish the workforce.

    Also,  Rector of the International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, Captain Nuhu Abdulkarim, has projected that in the next 10 years, indigenous manpower in the industry would be fewer than 20 per cent, unless federal and state governments develop a policy on manpower replacement.

    Abdulkarim said many Nigerians who are in the technical area of the industry, such as pilots and aircraft engineers are in their 50s and even older. The government, he said, should design a programme for urgent replacement.

    He urged state governments to award scholarships to their indigenes to train as pilots, engineers and in other technical courses that are dominated by expatriates.

    Abdulkarim said part of the reason    there is dearth of indigenous manpower in the sector was because over the years Nigeria has only one aviation training institution – the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, which is underfunded, saying many years ago, the institution almost became moribund, resulting in  limited number of pilots and other trained professionals.

    “As we know, there has been a dearth of professionals, not only pilots, but engineers and dispatchers. This is because we used to have only one organisation recognised which is the NCAT.

    “For sometime they were not producing graduates. For about 11 years, there were shortages and if you look at my head, you will see that I am grey. I am over 50 years and I have been in aviation for over  32 years. I started young. I worked with Nigeria Airways and also worked at NCAT for about 12 years.”

    The rector  said with  the establishment of the International Aviation College, Ilorin  a few years ago and the revival of NCAT, there was hope that more Nigerians would be trained to work in the industry.

    This, he said, might not happen, unless there is a commitment by airlines and governments to actualise the objective.

    The  rector regretted that since the demise of Nigeria Airways, indigenous airlines, for sometimes   stopped training their  personnel in large numbers.

  • Emirates Group makes $670m profit

    The Emirates Group has announced a $670 million profit for the financial year ending March 31,  2017, down 70 per cent  from last year’s record profit.

    This is the group’s 29th consecutive year of profit and steady business expansion despite a turbulent year for aviation

    The group’s revenue reached          $25.8 billion, representing an increase of  two per cent  over last year’s results. However, its cash balance decreased by 19 per cent to $5.2 billion,  mainly due to the repayment of two bonds on maturity and ongoing high investments into its fleet and aircraft related assets.

    In line with the business climate and to support the future investment plans of the Group, no dividend payment will be made to the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) for 2016-17.

    Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates and dnata    have continued to deliver profits and grow the business, despite 2016-17 having been one of our most challenging years to date.

    “Over the years, we have invested to build our business capabilities and brand reputation. We now reap the benefits as these strong foundations have helped us to weather the destabilising events which have impacted travel demand during the year – from the Brexit vote to Europe’s immigration challenges and terror attacks, from the new policies impacting air travel into the US, to currency devaluation and funds repatriation issues in parts of Africa, and the continued knock-on effect of a sluggish oil and gas industry on business confidence and travel demand.”

  • Why African airlines ‘are not global players’ 

    Why African airlines ‘are not global players’ 

    The chances of most African airlines making it big may be slim for sometime to come, The Nation has learnt.

    According to sources, their inability to secure interline agreements with global airlines will continue to affect them because they do not have basic and enhanced international safety operational audit certification.

    For such agreements to be consummated, bigger airlines either in Europe, Middle East and Asia  require cooperating airlines to have standard operational safety records guaranteed by airlines that have passed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

    While there are three network alliances among global airlines – Skyteam, Star Alliance and One World Alliance – only Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Egypt Air are members of the Star Alliance. No Nigerian carrier is in any of the alliances.

    Besides, IATA expects carriers to enlist in its clearing house to enjoy partnership with others.

    Investigations revealed that many carriers were yet to get into IATA clearing house because they have not passed the IOSA certification test.

    At a meeting in Abuja in 2012, the African Union signed a declaration that carriers on the continent should pass the IOSA litmus test to enable them step up their operational and safety records.

    Notwithstanding the declaration, only 11 airlines have joined since then. This brings to 31 the number of airlines from sub-Saharan Africa benefitting from the safety audit.

    IATA Regional Manager, West Africa, Samson Fatokun, said the global body was working with African carriers to ensure that they were enlisted in the clearing house by the end of the year.

    Although no Nigerian airline has been enlisted in the house, eight domestic airlines have since passed IOSA certification. They are Arik Air, Aero, First Nation Airways, Medview, Dana Air, Overland Airways, Allied Air and Air Peace.

    Stakeholders in the industry say an airline that is a part of IATA clearing house stands to benefit. They list the benefits to include helping such an airline to have a steady operation and cashflow.

    Fatokun said: ”It is a very good and big achievement. Getting it is one thing and staying there is another thing. It gives the airline opportunity to tell others that safety is important. It also gives people who want to do business with the airline to be assured that the level of safety required is there. Such certificate makes all know that the aircraft management and maintenance are safe. It gives the passengers more assurance and confidence.”

    Last year, IATA and Nigeria pledged to collaborate in developing and rolling out a set of measures to enhance the African Union’s 2012 Abuja Declaration on Aviation Safety.

    Experts described the Abuja Declaration as one of the most significant steps taken to boost safety and development on the continent.

    Since the Abuja Declaration’s adoption, Africa’s safety performance has improved significantly.  Notwithstanding these gains, experts say when measured proportionally, the continent continues to have the world’s highest hull-loss rate per million flights.

    “African safety is moving in the right direction thanks to the work done by a number of African nations including Nigeria, who have worked hard to raise awareness on the importance of implementing the Abuja Declaration,” IATA’s Regional Director, Safety and Flight Operations, Africa and Middle East, Tanja Grobotek, said.

  • Air Peace  gets international safety certification 

    Air Peace has  secured the International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    With the certification, it becomes the seventh Nigerian carrier to secure such safety endorsement from IATA.

    The certification has opened a window for Air Peace to join global players in negotiating and signing codeshare and interline agreements with other world carriers. Though it confers membership of the elite club on the airline, it still has to wait for admission into IATA’s clearing house.

    The certificate was presented to its Chairman, Mr Allen Onyema, last week in Lagos

    Before the presentation, IATA Area Manager for West Africa  Dr. Samson Fatokun lauded Air Peace for its ability to pass all the hurdles, saying the certification would boost the safety confidence of the carrier.

    Fatokun said by the end of the year, all African airlines would be on IOSA registry. This may not, however, be possible without the  support of airlines’ CEOs .

    Onyema thanked the IATA representative for the presentation, adding that this was the first time an airline had achieved such feat within 30 months of its operations.

    The Air Peace boss said: “I thank the passengers; we are happy and I am short of words. We have got what many airlines in Nigeria and Africa could not get. It shows that God is with us.”

    Onyema assured the government  that indigenous operators would get it right.

    With the IOSA certificate, Onyema said he was already making consultations with some foreign airlines for codeshare arrangements.

  • ‘Air navigation equipment working optimally‘

    THE Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has denied that some pilots are complaining of poor communication.

    It said the efficacy of its radio communication had been confirmed with more domestic and international airlines flying.

    It said it acquired and installed air navigation equipment at airports nationwide, insisting that the equipment were working optimally.

    NAMA’s Managing Director Captain Fola Akinkuotu said investment on air safety had boosted its work.

    He listed the equipment to include: Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME), among others.

    He said before the closure of Abuja Airport for repair of its runway, the ILS/DME and VOR/DME in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt and Bauchi airports were calibrated by South African Flight Calibration Company (FSCL).

    Calibration is  flight checking of air navigation equipment to ensure their accuracy and efficiency .

    The facilities, Akinkuotu said, were certified as being in tandem with the  International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) specifications.

    He said: ”NAMA has invested heavily in air navigation equipment at airports nationwide. The facilities are working optimally.

    “As the nation’s air navigation service provider, we will continue to adhere to rules and regulations of ICAO, to which Nigeria is a signatory.”

    He said the ILS at Runway 18 L and 18R were serviceable.

    According to Akinkuotu,   Runway 18R has precision approach lighting system, which is one of the best in the industry, while 18L has simple approach lighting system but, it is not busy at night. He said both were working at optimal levels.

    On  airspace radio communication, he said Radio Frequency 127.3mhz has an improved range and was working perfectly just as the Radio Frequency 124.7 mhz was also in good condition.

    Also, the Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Farouk Umar, said there was no poor communication in the industry as being speculated in some quarters.

    “It is either you are communicating or you are not. If this were to be true, international flights would not have been coming into the country. Nigerian airspace is safe for both local and international flights.

    ”It is absolutely not true that some areas in the airspace have no communication at all.”

    On ILS, Farouk said all the agency’s ILS were on Category Two, lamenting, however, that “most of the aircraft in the country do not even have the facilities to fly Category Three because the aircraft need to be equipped with Category Three facilities to be able to land in zero visibility, just as pilots themselves need to be trained on Category Three.’’

  • Virgin Atlantic unveils offer 

    British carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways is offering Nigerian passengers exciting fares on its upper class cabin.

    In a statement, the airline said the offer was part of its  efforts to appreciate its passengers for their patronage.

    On the Lagos-London route, it is offering passengers on the upper class cabin flexible fares from $2,800 exclusive of taxes on tickets booked between June 1 and 30.

    “The Virgin Atlantic upper class cabin offers both loyal and potential customers, an unforgettable travel experience with many exciting packages, including fantastic miles offer, which may earn you reduced fares and even a free ticket in the future,’’ it said.

     

     

  • Forces against Open Skies for Africa

    Forces against Open Skies for Africa

    In 1999, some African countries signed the Yamoussoukro Decision to liberalise air transport on the continent. The pact was to pave the way for Open Skies for Africa. However, 18 years after, the dream has not been realised. KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

    DESPITE the push by some multilateral organistions, domestic carriers are not keen about the proposed domestic Single Skies for Africa.

    The African Union (AU), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), African Civil Aviation Commission ( AFCAC), and Economic Community of West African States  (ECOWAS), among others, are behind the project for Africa.

    The project, otherwise known as African Open Skies, according to its proponents, will remove bilateral restrictions to airlines flying from one African country into another.

    But the domestic carriers believe the move is skewed against their interest. Their grouse is that the arranegment grants other African and foreign carriers unfetteered access to Nigeria’s lucrative routes.

    The promoters, under the air liberalisation pact signed by many African countries in 1999, otherwise known as the Yamoussoukro Decision, argued that airlines in the continent should be allowed to fly into many points in any country as part of efforts to drive air connectivity.

    Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, ASKY Airlines, Rwand Air, Cameroon Airlines , African World Airlines , and Egypt Air  are said to be benefitting from multiple entry points into Nigeria.

    However, the beneficiary arlines have allegedly made it difficult  for Nigerian carriers to fly into their countries. And this percieved lop-sided arrangement has left Nigerian carriers holding the short end of the stick.

    Some operators who spoke with The Nation, noted that such underground move to deny Nigerian carriers traffic approvals into their contries may have been driven by fear of competition.

    Although, aviation  authorities in Senegal, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Cameroon , and Togo among others, are said to have created hurdles on the way of some designated Nigerian carriers to get traffic approvals into their countries, only Rwand Air enjoys Fifth Freedom Rights into Nigeria.

    Fifth Freedom Rights grant the benefitting carriers rights to carry passengers from one country to another and approval to carry passengers into a  third country.

    The Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights under the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) of November 1999, endorsed by African  civil aviation authorities, refers to the right to carry passengers from one’s own country to a second country and from that country to a third  country.

    Despite the gains of air liberalisation in Africa, which the Yamoussoukro Decision entails, experts say the conditions attached to achieving the objective pose  new threats to countries . They argue that  the domestic sector of the aviation sector is being undermined .

    Some Nigerian operators are therefore, kicking against the unwarranted approval of traffic rights to some foreign carriers.

    Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, said frivolous traffic approvals by Nigerian Government to foreign or African carriers is undermining the growth of domestic carriers.

    Meggison and indeed, other airline operators faulted the prevalence  of fifth freedom right granted some airlines. Describing it as a rip-off on other carriers, they argued that it is  damaging airlines on the continent. They, therfore, called for a review.

    RwandAir, last month, secured  approval from the Ministry of Aviation in Nigeria to fly Lagos-Accra route on a direct flight.

    The approval, according to experts, will stimulate  competition among Arik Air, Med-View, Air Peace and Ghana based Africa World Airlines (AWA) on the route.

    RwandAir’s Country Manager, Nigeria, Ibiyemi Odusi, said nothing is unusual about the traffic approval, as it will facilitate seamless distribution of passengers among  African cities.

    But Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, disagrees. He said it is time to challenge bilateral agreements that shortchange indigenous carriers .

    Onyema said that the governments of Cameroon , Togo , Cote D ‘ Ivoire , Senegal have been frustrating Air Peace’s efforts to secure traffic approvals into their countries.

    He vowed to take legal action against some of the countries as part of efforts to secure a level playing field for African carriers .

    Onyema said ”The Ministry of Aviation granted us permission to fly into some African countries. This was received in the face of resentment from certain quarters .

    “Ethiopian Airlines is everywhere in the country. Our government is liberal and wants to honour bilateral agreements; that’s why it’s allowing them.

    “But the question is: have these other countries allowed us to come in?  African countries are trying to stop us especially when they think that you are a competitor, they won’t allow you.”

    The Peace Airline boss said that government gave his company  the right to fly into other African countries, but many of them have refused to allowed him come in.

    He recalled that for over two years that Air Peace has been given approval to fly  into many African countries, only Ghana has coorperated.

    “Ivory Coast never wanted to honour our request. We had to go to them pleading; they didn’t tell us no, but we later discovered that one particular airline was using them to frustrate Nigerian carriers, particularly Air Peace.

    “They see us as a threat; you need to see what they do to us in other countries,” Oyema lamented.

    That was not all. He also regretted that up till now, Senegal has yet to inspect his company’s facilities so they could grant it the approval. “We have written them severally. Our chief operating officer has spent one week there in Senegal. Another consultant also went there. We provided everything they wanted us to provide. Yet nothing has happened,” he added.

    The experience is the same in Cote d’Ivoire where Oyema said the authorities there are  protecting Air Cote’ d’Ivoire.

    “I will go to court to stop any airline  whose country doesn’t  want to allow us come in from coming to Nigeria,” Onyema threatened, noting that his company has  gone to Cameroon  more than 10 times all to no avail.

    While pointing out that it was only Ghana that answered his company, he said Air Peace was  ready to go into other African countries. “We have the equipment to represent this country proudly, but they are not allowing us,” he emphasised.

    The Chief Executive Officer of Centurion Securities , Captain John Ojikutu (rtd), urged government to review the approval of traffic rights to foreign carriers in order to protect indigenous carriers.

    Ojikutu, who is an industry analyst, asked, “Which African country will allow a Nigerian airline operate the way Ethiopian Airline is operating in Nigeria? The airline flies into four international airports”

    He said there is need to call government’s attention to the lop-sidedness otherwise there will be no capacity for development for domestic airlines.