The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Emirates gets manager

    Emirates has appointed Mr Afzal Parambil  as its Regional Manager for West Africa.

    Prior to taking up his new appointment, Parambil served in some commercial roles within Emirates, the most recent being the Country Manager for Ethiopia.

    Congratulating Mr. Parambil on his new position, Orhan Abbas, Emirates Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa, said: “Nigeria is a very important market for Emirates and we are delighted that  Mr Parambil will serve as the new Regional Manager for West Africa. It’s part of our human resources strategy to continuously develop and enhance our employees’ capabilities across the Group through providing them with new challenges and opportunities,” he added.

    Parambil will be responsible for Emirates operation in the country and West Africa as a whole, and will oversee sales and customer service, cargo and airport operations.

  • FG invites foreign airlines to inspect Kaduna airport

    FG invites foreign airlines to inspect Kaduna airport

    The Federal Government has invited Foreign airline operators to the Kaduna airport to see the level of its preparedness at relocating flight operations to Kaduna state.

    The government had announced that Abuja airport runway will be shut by March 8 in order to repair the dilapidated runway.

    The government maintained that the Nnamdi

    Speaking in Abuja yesterday during a meeting with

    “Also to invite you to visit Kaduna within the next two to three  days as you may wish and to show you the level of preparedness we are to take you into Kaduna.”

    The minister later went into a closed-door meeting with some of the operators.

    Some of the International airlines that fly into Abuja are; Air France, Air Côte D’Ivoire,

  • Getting Kaduna Airport ready for Abuja traffic

    Getting Kaduna Airport ready for Abuja traffic

    Sixteen days to the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for the repair of its runway, everything is being done to get the Kaduna Airport, where flights will be diverted, ready. Agencies are mobilising to fix the safety and operational facilities in Kaduna to conform with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards before March 8. Aviation Correspondent KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR takes a look at how ready the airport is against the set date.

    CAN the government deliver the new Kaduna Airport terminal  for international flights in 16 days?

    This is the question agitating the minds of experts and stakeholders.

    They insist that to ensure feasible international operations there,  the airport must not fall short of the prescribed standards of adequate runway length, perimeter fencing, fire cover, adequate facilitation and security personnel – set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    Unless these facilities are in place, ICAO insists, international flights to any airport will not be okayed.

    These requirements are of concern because of the planned  six-week closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from March 8, to enable contractors carry out major repairs on its runway.

    During the closure, Abuja flights  will be diverted to Kaduna until the runway’s reconstruction is completed.

    To meet the deadline, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), among others, have been mobilising to ensure thatthe Kaduna Airport terminal is completed.

    Beyond the completion of the terminal building, the agencies have  been working to ensure that relevant airport and air navigation facilities are available for the expected passenger traffic.

    During a tour of the airport last week, Kazeem Keji, Project Engineer for Dari Investment Limited, the contractor handling the job, said the project was 92 per cent completed and would be ready by the end of the month.

    He said the major component of the project had been completed, adding that  the fittings, lighting and the ceiling would be fixed this week.

    “We are not looking at March 8, 2017; our deadline for completion is February ending and we are going to finish it. We have done the major part of the project. It is only the fittings that are expected to be delivered  this week after which the ceilings will be fixed,” he said.

    In an interview, last week in Kaduna, Airport Manager Hajiya Amina Ozi-Salami said the airport was ready for the expected traffic surge.

    Hajiya Ozi-Salami said the runway was in good condition, adding that the capacity of the airport has been enhanced to accommodate more aircraft.

    She said the lighting of the runway would be completed during the week as well as the requisite manpower needed to run the show during the period. The fire and safety equipment, as well as the navigational equipment of the airport are being upgraded in line with the ICAO regulation, she added.

    “We are going to boost the manpower by deploying staff from Abuja to Kaduna and we are bringing in 40 fire and safety staff, in addition to 57 security staff.

    “The management has been making efforts to stop villagers around the airport from tresspassing and the state government has started working on the vandalised portion of the perimeter fence, adding that with the synergy among the security agencies, the issue of security has been taken care of.”

    Also,  the Head, Fire and Safety Department, Abubakar Danladi,  said three fire tenders were on ground, while others were being repaired. He added that the authority would provide new ones to help them to attain “Category 9”.

    We are expecting more support from Abuja with more manpower, Danladi, said.

    An Air Traffic Controller, Jatau Nehemiah, said the communication equipment and other navigational aids were being deployed for effective operation during the period. He  said more equipment was being installed, assuring that the facilities would be enough to cater to various aircraft.

    Also, Committee on Kaduna Airport Construction Chairman Mohammed Joji said modern air navigation facilities, including instrument landing systems, with three components had been installed at the airport, pointing out that the new terminal with 750-passenger capacity was designed to cater for foreign carriers that would fly into Kaduna.

    International carriers expected to divert their flights to Kaduna include Lufthansa, Air France, Air Cote D’ Ivoire, AskyAirlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Egypt Air, Emirates and Kenyan Airlines.

    Joji listed domestic carriers expected to fly into Kaduna to include: Arik Air, AZMAN Air, Aero, Dana Air, Air Peace, Medview, First Nation and Overland Airways.

    He said  the Kaduna Airport was being rejigged to cater for the 16 carriers, as relevant facilities have been restructured at its land and air sides.

    On the preparedness of Kaduna Airport to handle wide bodied aircraft, Joji said: “The airport is set for the expected flights. The question this throws up borders on the structure of the runway, which has  3000metres length and 60 meters width.

    “This is sufficient to handle a wide body aircraft. If the need arises, an additional facility called blast pad of 300 meters could be provided at each end of the runway. This is with the full complement of navigational and landing aids, which are already provided for category two instrument landing system.”

    Investigations revealed that low- level wind shear alerting system has been provided with full lighting of the runway as well as Category 9 fire cover.

    But, to get the airport fully ready, experts said, some dilapidated and skeletal edifices must be reworked to conform with international standards.

    An expert, who pleaded not to be named, said: “Additional check- in counters must be provided with internet connectivity to enhance passenger processing by various airlines.

    “The charge at the tollgate must be discontinued to enhance facilitation due to expected increase in traffic into the airport. The un-completed car park must be rehabilitated, in addition to putting in place a full- fledged cargo warehouse.

    “There should be a full-fledged catering service to relieve airlines of the cost of back-up supply of food. There should also be 24-hour Customs and Immigration services’ facilities at the airport. These should also include adequate FAAN security personnel empowered to carry out their duty effectively.”

    They also said the dilapidated FAAN staff quarters should be renovated for support staff who would be deployed to the airport.

    Investigations revealed that NAMA is upgrading and mobilising its air facilities to ensure seamless flights and provision of advisory services.

    The agency said it had started upgrading navigational facilities at the airport to absorb the increased volume of traffic.

    Speaking in Lagos, NAMA’s General Manager, Safety Management Systems/Quality Assurance,  Matthew  Lawrence Pwajok, said the agency “is deploying both equipment and personnel to strategic areas of need to ensure seamless flow of traffic at the airport”.

    He said NAMA had started the installation of a digital instrument landing system (ILS) at the airport, which would undergo flight calibration along with the Very High Frequency Omni-directional Radio Range (VOR) to ensure their accuracy.

    “NAMA is also conducting a safety assessment of the Kaduna airport to ensure that it conforms to international safety standards, just as new equipment is being procured for the control tower under construction. In addition, a mobile control tower is to be deployed to the airport to support the existing tower already in use.

    “Abuja radar is also going to be used to provide radar surveillance of traffic moving in and out of Kaduna to provide safety and efficiency of flight operations, new generating sets are to be installed to provide secondary power supply to the navigational aids,” Pwajok said, adding, “cooling systems are to be installed soon.”

    He said the agency had deployed to the airport some facilities, including low-level wind shear alerting and cooling systems.

    Besides, he said Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures for satellite-based navigation capability had been published for aircraft equipped to use it for approach and landing, rather that the ground aids.

    On personnel, the safety management systems manager said aeronautical information services (AIS), communications, air traffic control, engineering officers and some other complement the manpower at the airport throughout the closure.

    From a security point of view, experts have canvassed the installation of street lighting at the junction towards the roundabout leading into the  airport.

    The expert said: “The sharp bend leading to Kutungare village, which is a blind spot must be straightened to avoid collision due to the increase of traffic along the road.

    “Aviation fuel must be provided round the clock and an enabling environment should be provided also for additional fuel marketers coming into Kaduna. This is because bigger aircraft use their under wing compartment for re- fueling . This makes it imperative to ensure such provision is made.’’

  • Six reasons to close Abuja airport now

    Six reasons to close Abuja airport now

    1. We commend the Federal Government for finally submitting the name of the Justice Walter Onnoghen to the Senate for confirmation as the Chief Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
    2. This step, taken in furtherance of the provisions of Section 231 of the Constitution, finally puts paid to several months of speculation and conspiracy theories relating to the appointment of a substantive Chief Justice of the Federation.
    3. We hereby call on the Senate to confirm Justice Onnoghen as quickly as possible upon resumption from their recess on February 22, 2017. This will enable him to quickly implement an agenda to reposition the judiciary.
    4. We also commend the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to repair the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. While fears as to the extent of potential economic losses to the nation remain valid and must be assuaged, the resolve to permanently repair the runway and in so doing potentially save lives must be wholeheartedly commended.
    5. For a while, we have entertained fears that only an aviation mishap which may affect lots of lives will convince Nigerians of the necessity of this policy. These fears are exacerbated by reports that an aircraft belonging to Qatar Airways was almost involved in a crash as it attempted to take off.

    In fact, we are afraid that there are unscrupulous elements in Nigeria who might instigate such a mishap to emphasise the need to carry out the repairs of the runway.

    1. We hope that the Ministry of Aviation and other government agencies will put in their best efforts to ensure the speedy completion of this project and the reopening of the NAIA.

    God bless Nigeria.

    By Deji Adeyanju from Abuja

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  • SAHCOL may lose N3.36b to Abuja Airport closure

    SAHCOL may lose N3.36b to Abuja Airport closure

    The closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) for the rehabilitation of its runway will cost  Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) a N3.36 billion loss in revenue, the Managing Director, Rizwan Kadri, has said.

    The SAHCOL boss said the firm generates about N80 million from  providing cargo, ramp, passenger handling and other services to domestic and foreign carriers in Abuja daily. He said during the airport’s six-week closure, the firm would  rejig its operations at other airports to mitigate the loss.

    He told The Nation that the closure would have effects on ground handling firms, airlines, car hire operators, catering suppliers and others who provide support services. The projected loss revenue loss, he said, would be a burden on the company, adding that mangement would approach the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) for assistance.

    He said the company would have to mobilise personnel and equipment to Kaduna Airport.

    Kadri said: “The government is taking the right step as the repair of the Abuja Airport is long overdue. However, they have gone about it in a wrong way. The stakeholders are going to lose a lot of revenue if airlines are not going to Abuja. The stakeholders are not taken into confidence. That is why the foreign airlines are not going to Kaduna Airport.

    “If we make N80 million daily from NAIA and that stops suddenly, it is going to affect us. We will need to move manpower and equipment to Kaduna. We will continue to pay them salary if they stay on in Abuja doing nothing for six weeks. We are still hanging in the balance; we are still waiting. We hope it lasts just six weeks.”

    Apart from ground handling companies, other concessionaires, including aviation fuel suppliers and airline catering suppliers, will also lose significant revenue during the six weeks repairs’ period because of the  scale of operations in the alternate aerodrome in Kaduna.

    Aviation agencies, including FAAN and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), will also lose significant revenue from passengers’ service charge, ticket sales charge and terminal charges.

    Investigations revealed that Abuja airport is Nigeria’s second busiest international airport, with about a half-million international passengers yearly.

    National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) President Bankole Bernard said the closure of the Abuja Airport would have ripple effects on business.

    He said many agencies lose the charge they collect to assist passengers procure tickets, organise transit flights and other support services.

    Last week, Lufthansa German Airlines, South African Airways and British Airways notified that they would not operate flights into Kaduna Airport.

    British Airways cited logistics for  its decision to shun Kaduna Airport, saying would restrict its Abuja frequency to Lagos .

    Country Commercial Manager for British Airways (Nigeria and West Africa), Kola Olayinka said the decision not to go to Kaduna as an alternative airport to Abuja, was because of lack of inflight catering services.

    He said it costs the carrier more money to operate into Kaduna, as it would need to bring along inbound and outbound meals/food which will prove a burden to the airline.

    Aside that, Olayinka listed other constraints to include lack of common user terminals and information and technology equipment that would support its operations, fear of baggage loss.

  • NAMA promises to retirees

    NAMA promises to retirees

    Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Managing Director, Capt Fola Akinkuotu, has assured retirees of the agency of prompt payment of  their benefits.

    Speaking at the sendoff  organised by members of Aeronautical Information Service AIS in Lagos, Capt Akinkuotu lamented that in some cases, it was difficult for retirees to get their entitlements after serving their fatherland for 35 years.

    He said the agency will ensure that every retiree was paid at the point of exit, adding that a labourer was entitled to his wages.

    He also advised the working class to always remember that their labour will not be in vain, noting that it was sad to see workers not enjoying their retirement lives.

    While praising  them for their unblemished record and contributions to the system while in service, Capt Akinkuotu urged them never to change their lifestyle just as he assured  them that the agency will always consult them when necessary.

    “The working class should always remember that their labour will not be in vain, the labour of the retirees will not be in vain. Its sad to see that after  labouring  the fruit is not enjoyed.But your case will not be like that”

    Aeronautical Information Services Association of Nigeria (AISAN) President, Comrade Babatunde Shittu, lauded its members who retired from service recently.

    Shittu said that AIS was  able to get to where they are through dedication, hard work, sense of purpose, firm belief in all and  determination of the retirees to promote the growth and development of Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) as a profession of dignity and respect.

  • Medview to expand operations in W/Africa

    Medview to expand operations in W/Africa

    MED-VIEW Airline  Managing Director   Alhaji Muneer Bankole has unveiled  plans  to expand the firm’s operations to Francophone countries within  West Africa.

    In an interview in Lagos, Bankole said the airline would expand its operations to Dakar (Senegal), Conakry (Guinea) and Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire) in the next two months, noting that the airline has already began Lome (Togo) route.

    He said  arrangements have reached an advanced stage on the commencement of the francophone countries, saying the aim of the airline is to connect all the West African states before expanding its tentacles to Europe and America.

    Bankole said that beginning from the next quarter of 2017, Med-View would begin the Lagos-Dubai route, which has been in pipeline for over two years while the Baltimore, Washington DC in United States is also on the card.

    He said: “We went to West Africa countries with the whole idea of integrating all West African citizens together. The Economic and Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has about 15 nations and Heads of States and the purpose of the community is to integrate the citizens in the region.

    “We started with Anglophone and we are commencing in the next two months to expand to the francophone countries, such as Dakar, Conakry and Abidjan. We are already in Lome and in the next quarter, we want to be in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    “We intend to take the citizens to New York; we are heading up to Baltimore, Washington, United Kingdom and Jeddah, which is our home base.”

  • ‘Competition ‘ll stimulate growth’

    Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika has said competition will stimulated growth of the sector.  Competition driven by good service delivery will ensure operators imbibe a culture of adherence to best practices, he said.

    He spoke in Lagos during the seventh Nigerian Aviation Awards (NIGAV) organised by FCI International Limited.

    Represented by the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Mr Akin Olateru, Sirika praised the organiser, Mr Fortune Idu, for creating a platform for operators to compete for service delivery.

    According to the minister, the award has become a catalyst for quality service delivery among competing categories.

    NIGAV service awards covers airport management, aeronautical  and non-aeronautic services, media, hospitality, airlines, sundry support vendors, lounge services, shuttle services, agencies and other institutions.

    He said: “I dare say the supervising Ministry of Transportation greatly appreciates, and is fully in support of NIGAV. May I seize this opportunity to sincerely thank the organisers of this award, FCI International Limited, under the leadership of Mr Fortune Idu, and his dedicated team, for a job well-done unrelentingly these past seven years.”

    The minister said given  the economic challenges faced by all sectors of the economy,  only the best was good enough to produce the desired improvements in the industry.

    Sirika said hard work, compliance with safety and security regulatory requirements and a customer-centric attitude were what the industry required to guarantee the flying public’s safety.

    Idu said service delivery would improve if operators were rewarded for their contributions.

    His words: ”This is the whole idea of acknowledging and rewarding the contributions of industry to stimulate enhanced services for the overall good of passengers.’’

  • Italian carrier partners Dana

    Meridiana Fly, an Italian carrier, is partnering Dana Air to deepen its operations in Nigerian and Ghana.

    To this end, the airline has confirmed its summer schedule for the year.

    In an interview, Dana Air spokesman, Kingsley Ezenwa, said the deal was driven by the introduction of a Boeing 767 – 300 aircraft and superior on – time performance rate.

    The partnership, he said, was  also supported by Ghana’s first affiliated global aviation advisory firm: Dre Aviation.

    The representative of Dre Aviation, Mr Paul Bassam Saade said: “A prudent approach was taken by Meridiana when entering these highly competitive markets but we have demonstrated stable operations and a growing commercial presence for them in West Africa and they are pleased with the results”

    Saade said based on the feedback  the airline has rescheduled its flight time to enable passengers  connect into its route network into Europe and other destinations.

    He said: ”This means a late evening departure from Lagos which arrives in Italy’s Milan Malpensa Airport early the next day, allowing our Nigerian passengers to onward connect onto Meridiana services into Europe and beyond.

    “This is a compelling proposition as the fares are much cheaper than other carriers into Europe and offers a real alternative for the public.“

  • Ministry seeks EFCC’s probe of NPA/Depasa JV account

    Ministry seeks EFCC’s probe of NPA/Depasa JV account

    •NPA: mismanagement allegation untrue

    Is a joint venture (JV) between Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Depasa Marine International Limited (DMT) a vehicle for siphoning public funds?

    Some top Federal Ministry of Finance (FMoF) officials are pushing for the probe of the JV offshore escrow account by the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for alleged mismanagement.

    But  NPA’s General Manager, Public Affairs, Chief Michael Ajayi, denied the allegation, saying the JV, which maintains the channels leading into Lagos ports, has been “running things for NPA smoothly”.

    “It is not enough for anybody to raise an allegation. The onus lies with the person to substantiate and prove his allegation beyond reasonable doubt. As far as we are concerned, there is no truth in this allegation of mismanagement against NPA and Depasa.

    “You must be able to know what the JV has in its budget before making allegation that the job assigned to the company was either executed or not. It is when the money allocated for a particular project was diverted or used for another purpose that you can claim that there is mismanagement.

    “As far as NPA and Depasa are concerned, the allegation is baseless and has no iota of truth in it,” Ajayi said.

    The FMoF officials are seeking the probe of how the JV’s local and foreign accounts were managed under the last administration.

    The JV came into being on June 7, 2005, following a letter sent by former Transport Minister Dr A. S. P. Sekibo to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The probe it was learnt, will determine the culpability or otherwise of these directors in what is described as the account’s “mismanagement”.

    It will also ascertain the money paid by the JV to the Federal Government for the two hoppers, S D River Challawa and S D Sea Lion,  leased on a bare-boat charter from NPA since the JV began.

    The JV, a top former official said, was expected to pay $1.8 million yearly to NPA for the boats in the first three years, but it did not. The source said the rate was reviewed thereafter bu the hike was jettisoned by some top NPA officials. The operators of the JV, the official alleged, are not expected to pay the same amount to the government as lease fees yearly.

    The official alleged that the N2 billion operating costs of the JV and Depasa charges for the dredging of the Lagos Channel per cubic metre were outrageous and should be investigatated.

    Some operators of the JV, the official alleged, connived with some past top officials of NPA to short-change the government.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi to ensure that local and foreign audited accounts of the JV were published.

    Officials of the ministry, he said, had questioned the costs of the JV, decrying its contribution to NPA’s manpower development.

    The company, he alleged, has violated the JV’s agreement of training NPA workers, urging Amaechi and the National Assembly to compel it to publish the number of NPA workers it had trained in the past 10 years.

    The official attributed the dearth of professionals the middle and lower cadre of the NPA to the violation of the JV agreement.

    He noted that contrary to the agreement, the former managers of the company paid lip service to human capacity building of NPA.

    “The Board and Managing Director of NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, who chairs the company, should be compelled by the Ministry of Transport and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to publish the number of senior and middle cadre officers of NPA that have benefited from the training programmes organised locally and internationally by the JV company in the last 10 years or more.

    “In the agreement Depasa signed with the Federal Government, NPA’s Managing Director is the chairman of the company, while its Executive Director, Marine Operation, and the Executive Director, Finance are directors of the company.

    “EFCC has been contacted to investigate the fees that the former directors of the company representing the NPA collected from the JV accounts in addition to their salaries from NPA to prevent double payment of salaries to senior public officials.

    “The chairman of the board of NPA and Ms Usman must also be compelled to make public the audited account of the company in the last 10 years and the number of loans taken so far by the company and for what?

    “The company is a private cum public enterprise that is accountable to Nigerians based on the NPA’s 60 per cent equity holding in the JV company.

    “The audited report must show if the unanimous decision of the NPA directors was sought and given in  matters such as- all investments in tangible financial assets; the yearly budget and business plan of the company; distribution of dividends; the designation of all signatories on bank accounts and the appointment of the company’s auditors, among others,” he said.

    The government, the official said, should also seek to know if the company engages in quarterly bathymetric survey in the Lagos Channel and ports as stipulated in the agreement, and demand the name of the surveyors and up to date reports.

    The JV, he said, was required to, on behalf of the NPA, maintain  the Lagos Channel and ports; ensure capital dredging of the Lagos Channel if necessary;  maintain buoy and surveillance in Lagos Channel and ports; plan and manage dredging operations in Lagos Channel and ports; remove wrecks in the Lagos Channel and ports; and ensure visual pollution monitoring and reporting operation.