Tag: air transport

Activities in the aviation sector in the last 57 years have been a sore narrative. Reason: the industry has navigated around failed airlines; un-utilised bilateral air services agreements, absence of a national carrier, an army of unemployed aircraft pilots/engineers and ill-equipped unviable airports. Experts say the sector is yet to attain its full potential,  KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports

IT is not yet uhuru  for air transport in Nigeria. For a regional player with a strong carrier at independence 57 years ago, the aviation narrative has been one of shattered hopes. The sector has been on a downward spiral since 2004  when the national carrier, the Nigerian Airways was liquidated.

Having attained its peak in the 80s stakeholeders, operators and others expected Nigeria to become a hub on the continent, but that is not so. Fifty-seven after, the sector is yet to attain its full potential.

Regrettably, the situation is such that the once-vibrant sector is  tottering on the verge of collapse. The sector can only boast of eight struggling domestic carriers. Somehow, the sector missed positioning itself on the path of growth as it has over 50 carriers in the past 57 years. It is a sector bedevilled by many challenges that seem to be insurmountable.

From its enviable position at independence, currently, Nigeria does not have a national carrier. Besides the absence of a national carrier, the challenges facing the industry have hindered its progress.

Experts say the failure of aviation sector to deliver in 57 years could be traced to the government’s inability to put in place a deliberate policy to drive the sector’s growth.

Industry watchers and airport users say not much has been achieved in the sector in 57 years.

Airlines

At least 50 airlines, which operated in Nigeria  since October 1, 1960, have gone into extinction.

Nigeria  Airways Limited (NAL), established in 1958, two years before independence was liquidated in 2004 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

At independence, NAL flew the country’s flag around the world.

The airline represented Nigeria robustly at both regional and international routes until it developed its problems in the 1980s when the public dominated sector  was deregulated.

The  industry was deregulated in 1985/86 by the Ibrahim Babangida-led administration; since then, many airlines have collapsed.

Airlines that have dotted the  landscape in 57 years of independence include: Albarka Airlines, Fresh Air, Okada Air, Virgin Nigeria Airways, EAS / NICON Airways, Spaceworld Airlines, Afrijet, IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines.

Others are Chrome Air Services, Sosoliso Airlines, ADC Airlines, Freedom Air Services, Slok Air, DASAB Airlines, Amako Airlines, Concord Airlines, Oriental Airlines, Trans Sahara Airlines, Air MidWest, Falcon Air and Bellview Airlines.

Other defunct airlines include   Flash Airline, Hold Trade Airline, Gas Air, Jambo Express; Savannah Airline, Intercontinental Airline; and HAK Air.

Others include Zenith Airline, Barnas Airline, Trias Airline; Associated Airline, United Air Service, Aras Airline Ltd, Nigeria Global, Nigeria Eagle, Harco Airline, Premier Airline, Al Bashir; Axiom Airline, Forward Air and Das Air and Cargo.

Existing carriers 

About eight carriers, including Arik Air, Aero Contractors of Nigeria, Medview Airlines, DANA Air; Air Peace, AZMAN Air, Overland Airways and First Nation Airways operate scheduled flights in the domestic sub sector.

These airlines, according to investigations, are burdened with over 37 airport and navigational charges in an atmosphere they describe as unfriendly.

For these carriers, there is nothing to cheer in 57 years of independence.

Why carriers fail 

In an interview with The Nation, a former spokesman of Nigeria Airways, Chris Aligbe, said many airlines failed since independence for many reasons.

He listed the factors for airlines’ failure to include poor government policy, owner manager syndrome, lack of understanding of the industry, lack of sound business plan, poor utilisation of equipment and wrong models.

He said: ”The operators’models were not right. They used wrong models and some of those who entered the airline industry early were not professionals.

“What I think and sincerely recommend is that the government should declare the airline industry an infant industry. The major one, the Nigeria Airways, government liquidated it by itself, unfortunately.”

Also, Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, said the aviation narrative since independence had not been encouraging.

He said though the sector has navigated through many learning curves, it is yet to attain its full potential.

Onyema said unless an  appropriate policy was put in place, more airlines could collapse.

He said: “If many airlines have collapsed in Nigeria, there are fundamental issues to be resolved. There are no night flight facilities at many airports.”

Policies/Infrastructure 

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Chairman, Captain Nogie Meggison, attributed lack of sound policies and failure to effectively implement existing policies as the bane of growth of the sector since independence.

He said: ”In my 23 or 24 years in this sector, it has had 28 ministers and within that period, we don’t need a rocket scientist to know that there will be a lot of confusion.”

Aviation Round Table (ART) Chairman, Gbenga Olowo said  many things were wrong in the industry.

He, however, spared a thought on attempts by the government to concession some airport terminals warning that it should be carried out with utmost transparency.

He said if this is done well, it could be one of the few strides achieved since independence.

Since independence, controversy continues to trail the state of airports across the country.

Though the number has increased over the years, industry players are yet to agree on the model for airport management.

With over 28 airports and 30 air- strips scattered across the country, which is sufficient evidence of a highly developed air transport network the question of consistent policy on airport development and maintenance still remains elusive after 57 years of independence.

With increasing clamour for private sector inclusion in airport infrastructure development, the concept of concession is still a battle ground for government and aviation workers.

With many state governments constructing their airports, the viability of airports  managed by the Federal Government agency – Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) remains a vexed subject.

State of airport facilities 

Nigeria, unarguably, parading the highest airports in Africa, has since independence failed to upgrade facilities at some of her  airports.

The ambitious airports remodeling project embarked on between 2011 and 2015, is yet to produce the desired results.

Though a few new terminals were refurbished in Lagos, Kano, Benin, Enugu, Jos, Abuja and Yola, many terminals still remain abandoned.

The  13 agro-allied terminals started a few years ago at airports nationwide are now in ruins.

Operators continue to complain over porous security at airports with poor perimeter fences and communication gadgets, which has paved the way for rising incidence of stowaways.

Experts say many airports lack basic equipment and facilities, which  include landing aids, airfield lighting, perimeter fencing, adequate fire cover, screening machines and CCTV.

Bilateral air agreements 

In the last 57 years, Nigeria’s performance at the international arena  has continue to dip.

Since the liquidation of NAL, the carriers have failed to reciprocate the bilateral air services agreement it signed with over 75 countries.

According to Meggison, the failure to reciprocate air services agreements means Nigeria is at the short end of the stick.

According to statistics from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), over 27 foreign carriers operate flights into the  country.

Some of the 27 foreign carriers are granted multiple entry status.

Such status, experts said, had consistently condemned accounts for the underdevelopment of the domestic sector of the industry.

Apart from Medview Airlines, which flies into London, Jeddah and Dubai,  no Nigerian carrier is operating flights  into routes outside West Africa.

Arik Air, which operated flights that hitherto operated flights into New York, London, Johannesburg, Dubai and other routes is struggling to keep its domestic and regional routes afloat.

Pilots unemployment/aircraft maintenance 

Engagement of indigenous professionals is at its lowest level in the sector after 57 years of independence.

Nigeria, which was the haven for training of aviation professionals in the 1960s, parades the highest number of unemployed indigenous pilots and aircraft engineers.

According to Meggison, there are over 1,000 young pilots and engineers trained both at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) in Zaria, Kaduna State and institutions abroad that are seeking for job in the sector.

Many airlines, he said, were unwilling to engage them because of lack of experience.

Rather, foreign pilots and aircraft engineers dominate the cockpit carting away foreign exchange out of the country.

Meggison said the sector has diminished as many domestic carriers spend billions of dollars yearly for overseas maintenance of the aircraft, which was carried out at NAL facility in the 1970s and 1980s.

Civil aviation autonomy / category one FAA rating

Despite many challenges confronting the sector, the NCAA, however, achieved autonomy in 2006 with the signing into law of the 2006 Civil Aviation Law.

Before securing autonomy, the Authority was using the 1964 Act to regulate civil aviation matters.

The autonomy, however, paved way for the attainment of category safety status on 2010, which has since been revalidated in 2014 and this year.

Crashes 

Like other African countries, Nigeria has grappled with poor air safety record since independence with many air crashes.

It reached its peak in 2005/ 2006 with the accidents involving Bellview, Sosoliso and ADC Airlines. .

Although a few crashes occurred in 2012 involving Dana Air and Associated Aviation, the government has since put some measures in place to sanitise the sector.

Part of the measures include regular audit of airlines, ban on some aircraft types and pegging of age limit for planes brought into the country.

Concession/ certification 

Though no airport was privately managed in 1960, the concession model adopted by the government for the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two in 2007 could be described as one of the strides in the last 57 years.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a few months ago declared the MMA 2 as an example on how to manage airports.

He said: ”If MMA2 is a mistake, let the mistake be replicated all over the country. It is an evidence of how the private sector can change the narrative of our aviation sector as is the case the world over.”

Amid controversies still trailing the deal over  tenure, the terminal managed by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited gives a ray of hope over what might become of plans by the government to concession other airports.

Besides, the recent certification of Lagos Airport by the NCAA is  a landmark for the sector.

Also during the period, a Nigerian, Dr Bernard Olumuyiwa Aliu, was appointed the President of the global aviation regulator – International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Another Nigerian, Saleh Dunoma, the Managing Director of FAAN, became the President, Africa, of the Airports Council International (ACI).

For the sector, it is not yet uhuru for Nigeria at 57 years of independence.