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Tag: Airports

  • Abuja, Lagos, Kano, PH, Enugu airports for concession

    Abuja, Lagos, Kano, PH, Enugu airports for concession

    Five airports are set for concession, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said.

    Keyamo spoke when he received the Regional Vice President (Africa and Middle East) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Kamil Awdhi, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

    A statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Odutayo Oluseyi, identified the five airports as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos; Port Harcourt International Airport; Aminu Kano International Airport; and Akanu Ibiam International airport, Enugu.

    The minister thanked IATA for offering an advisory role to Nigeria and for coming at a crucial time when the concession is about to take off.

    According to him, Nigeria is the aviation hub for Africa, and the world at large, but the level of infrastructure decay within the aviation industry calls for urgent action.

    He called on investors to avail themselves of the opportunity in the sector, saying that Nigeria’s aviation industry is ripe for both local and foreign investors.

    Keyamo also appealed to IATA to speak to other investors and notify them that the Tinubu Administration was making huge sacrifices to reposition Nigeria’s aviation industry to a global standard.

    Awdhi said the visit was to indicate IATA’s willingness to offer an advisory role to Nigeria, at no cost, in the concession process.

    Read Also: Fed Govt reworks modalities for airports’ concessions

    He described Nigeria as a big market which no investor can ignore.

    He affirmed that IATA was ready to help Nigeria develop its aviation sector, hinting that IATA is on the verge of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to audit all aircraft flying in Nigeria.

    Maiduguri Airport upgraded to international status

    Also yesterday, Keyamo said the Muhammadu Buhari Airport, Maiduguri, Borno State, has been upgraded to an international status.

    He spoke when Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum visited him.

    The minister said the airport will begin full operation as an international airport on January 1, 2025.

    A statement by the Head of Press and Public Affairs of the ministry, Odutayo Oluseyi, reads: “The establishment of an international airport in Maiduguri is strategic to receive international flights from the Middle East.

    “It has the capacity, size, population and infrastructure to function as an international airport.”

    Zulum expressed satisfaction with the airport’s new status and hailed President Tinubu and Keyamo for the uncommon transformation in the aviation sector. 

    He assured the minister that Northeast governors would provide the political will needed to ensure the airport’s smooth operation.

    “Services in the sector have improved and everyone can attest to that.

    “In terms of safety, the sector has experienced development and growth.

    “I have seen the government’s effort in making for a better aviation industry,” Zulum said.

    He urged the Federal Government to hasten the process to ensure Nigeria has a carrier.

  • Group seeks improved safety, security at airports

    Group seeks improved safety, security at airports

    Members of Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), yesterday, held a meeting with the management team of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), demanding for improved safety measures at airports across Nigeria.

    The group also demanded for improved revenue opportunity maximization, passenger comfort, security and infrastructure standards at airports, among other proposals.

    After commending the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, for her efforts at improving the airports since she assumed office, the ASRTI team led by its President, Air Cdr. Demola Onitiju (Rtd), made a case for enforcement of compliance with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) signed between FAAN and concessionaires at the airports, provision of better comfort for airport users, including the physically challenged passengers, who require separate facilities to access the terminal lounge.

    Another demand was regulation of concessionaires’ access to the newly-commissioned terminals and a monitoring device to ensure that duty free shop operators sell only what they were granted FAAN approval to sell at the airports.

    “In the interest of health and safety of travelers, who are consumers and standard international best practices, it is important for FAAN to evolve some certification processes and establish who is selling what among the retail shop operators,” Onitiju said.

    He also called for urgent action on the menace of rats at the new terminal of the Lagos airport, which equally constitutes a health hazard.

    The issue of establishing security fence at the airports in line with ICAO standards was also emphasized including the need to relocate the Lagos airport toll gate and have two, such that there is an entry into and exit from the airport area.

    Read Also: Fed Govt kicks off Consumer credit with 500,000 beneficiaries

    Such delineation, ASRTI believes, would help FAAN’s revenue generation.

    Responding to these and other proposals, Mrs. Kuku thanked the ASRTI and commended efforts of the NGO which she described as a pressure group, to contribute to the industry’s development.

    Kuku said the ongoing infrastructure projects already incorporated the needs of physically challenged passengers and that a brand new elevator was already being installed, adding that the physically challenged passengers were being considered in the ongoing facilities upgrade plan.

    She also noted that FAAN was already working on a revalidation process for concessionaires, as the Business Development Directorate was already reviewing the activities of retail shop operators to check standards, while the challenges of security at the cargo section was being addressed by the Cargo Services Directorate.

    She further stated that on assumption of office, there was a huge gap in fire simulator training for Airports Fire Personnel, but that the personnel could confirm that the gap was being filled already.

    On the dilapidated road linking FAAN Training School to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Kuku said her leadership succeeded in getting the Lagos State Government indicate interest in contributing to the road repairs, and that discussions were ongoing with both the State government and the federal government.

    She added that some of the airport projects such as perimeter fencing of all the major airports were humongous projects, way beyond what FAAN’S Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) could carry and may require the federal government’s involvement.

    She however stated that some aspects of the projects were already being done.

    FAAN’s Director of Special Duties, Mr. Henry Agbebire, said major steps were already being taken to tackle the menace of rats at the terminals, which ASRTI had noted, was a health safety hazard and an embarrassment to the country.

  • Summit focuses on airports’ viability

    Summit focuses on airports’ viability

    Efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to improve revenue at airports and strategies to make aerodromes viable will be examined next week in Lagos as players in air travel meet for the ninth All-Nigeria Airports Business Summit and Expo ( ABSE).

    Modelled after Airports Council International Forum,  ABSE, according to Convener/ Managing Director of FCI International, Fortune Idu, is a platform to examine investment opportunities to implement the council’s  reports, findings, and best practice in Nigeria.

    Read Also: JUST IN: Banks, emergency services, airports, others disrupted over global IT outage

    The Summit: “Addressing Airport Viability as Key to Successful Aviation Business Ambition”,  Idu said, will offer a Master Class on revenue generation, airports’  viability, safety challenges, airport logistics and cargo operations.

    Idu noted ABSE 2024 will create opportunities for states involved in airport projects to showcase their facility.

  • FULL LIST: Top 10 airports in Africa

    FULL LIST: Top 10 airports in Africa

    Cape Town International Airport in South Africa has been named as the Best African Airport in 2024 by Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport rating and ranking website.

    The rankings were revealed in Frankfurt, Germany during the 25th anniversary of World Airport Awards’.

    According to information obtained from the airport review and ranking site, the survey was conducted from August 2023 until March 2024 and over 100 customer nationalities participated in the survey.

    Here’s a list of the top 10 airports in Africa:

    1. Cape Town

    2. Durban King Shaka

    3. Johannesburg

    4. Casablanca

    5. Mauritius

    Read Also: BREAKING: Minister test runs e-gates at Airports

    6. Marrakech

    7. Addis Ababa

    8. Kigali

    9. Cairo

    10. Nairobi

  • Five major international airports in Nigeria

    Five major international airports in Nigeria

    •  Ayooluwa Ayobami

    Nigeria has 21 airports operated by Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN) with five functional international airports.

    Here’s is a full list of the five International airports in Nigeria:

    1. Murtala Muhammed International Airport (Lagos)-  An international airport located in Ikeja, the Lagos state capital, and is the major airport serving the entire state. The airport was initially built during World War II and is named after Murtala Muhammed (1938–1976), the fourth military ruler of Nigeria.

    2. Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (Abuja)- An international airport serving Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. It is also the nation’s second busiest airport.  It is the main airport serving the Nigerian capital city, and was named after Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996).

    3. Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (Kano)- Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport is an international airport serving Kano, the capital city of Kano State of Nigeria. It was a Royal Air Force station before the country became independent. It is the main airport serving northern Nigeria and was named after politician Aminu Kano. The airport has an international and a domestic terminal.

    4. Port Harcourt International Airport– Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) is an international airport located in Omagwa, a suburb of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State. The airport plays a very important role in the economy of the country. The Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) allows direct air connections between the country and major destinations around the world, especially to and from Western countries, because it is located in Port Harcourt, at the centre of the country’s oil and gas industry.

    5. Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu- The Akanu Ibiam International Airport is located in Enugu. This airport is one of the five international airports in the country and operated by FAAN. The airport is named after the late Akanu Ibiam (1906–1995), a medical doctor and statesman who hailed from Afikpo in Ebonyi State.

  • Fed Govt installs 30-second biometric gates for Immigration at airports

    Fed Govt installs 30-second biometric gates for Immigration at airports

    The Federal Government has installed 30-second biometric clearance gates for the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at all international airports across the country.

    The biometric gates have the capacity to screen and clear a passenger within 30 seconds without any interface or contacts with Immigration personnel.

    When inaugurated, the gates would provide seamless clearance services for passengers entering the country through any of the international airports.

    The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, explained that the facilities would be ready next month in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja, and Enugu.

    The minister said Lagos would have 17 gates, Abuja 10, Port Harcourt and Kano five each and Enugu four.

    Tunji-Ojo, who checked the biometric equipment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja and the Command and Control Centre at the NIS Headquarters yesterday, said the facilities would be a game changer for effective and efficient management of international passengers in the country.

    He said the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) and the Commandant and Control Centre facilities had been integrated not just for seamless entry and exit for passengers but to add another layer to the nation’s national security architecture.

    The minister, who was conducted round the facilities by the Comptroller of Immigration in Charge of the Abuja International Airport, Alhaji Mohammed Adamu, said whatever was happening within the airports would be seen real time at the command and control centre to enable security agencies monitor persons of interest entering the country.

    He said: “I am impressed by the levels and pace of works I have seen here today. The facilities are about 70 per cent ready. This means our border control management system is on track. It also means that the Nigeria Immigration Service is ready to contribute its quota to the national security architecture.”

    Read Also: EFCC quizzes ex-Gov Ahmed over alleged diversion of N10bn

    “The efficiency of the services provided by the NIS determines whatever we see in our security outlook as a nation. All these are being done in line with global best practices and standards and in consonance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to provide quality services to Nigerians.

    “We have decided that the more the gates at the airports, the easier it would be for passengers to be cleared. And looking at the ones that have been tested, it is about 30 seconds for a passenger to clear. So, I look at the solutions and the hardware and I think they are a top notch.

    “I am happy with the quality of works and I am happy with the prospect of giving Nigerians the experience. Once it is completed, Nigerians will no longer be at the mercy of Immigration officers whenever they arrive in the country.

    “Once you check in, you don’t need to have an encounter with Immigration officers anymore except you are a person of interest. This facility is not just for you to pass at record time; no. It is also to secure the nation and add another layer to our national security architecture.

    “If a person is a person of interest, he can easily be flagged. And this gives our Immigration support to be able to effectively do their jobs.”

  • ‘Fed Govt should engage indigenous consultants for airports masterplans’

    ‘Fed Govt should engage indigenous consultants for airports masterplans’

    The President of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nathaniel Atebije has asked the Federal Government to engage indigenous consultants in its proposed masterplans for airports.

    Atebije made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

    Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo had disclosed of plans to develop a masterplan for Nigerian airports.

    While the institute welcomed the decision to develop masterplans for the country’s airports, it urged the government to use indigenous consultants of good repute rather than going for expatriates.

    Atebije said: “We want to deeply appreciate the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development for his deep understanding of the need to plan for development and the dangers inherent to development before planning. In his recent declaration of the intention of government to ensure that our airports must have masterplans to guide their developments, he purposed to engage experts in the field of physical planning.

    “We admonish that indigenous consultants of good repute should be engaged rather than going for expatriates.”

    Read Also: Nigeria to modernise radar equipment at five airports

    He also commended the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for its policy on the need for educational institutions to have approved physical development masterplans before benefiting from its intervention programme.

    The NITP president said this would go a long way in “ensuring sane, rational, sustainable and cost-effective developments in our tertiary institutions.”

    He added: “We implore other public and private institutions to embark on preparing physical development plans by qualified and certified town planners before they carry out such developments. This is the only way to get value for money.

    “We need urgent actions to be carried out by massive load of professionals in this nation to turn the table around for the benefit of the nation and catch up with the spirit and purpose of the bilateral and multi-lateral agreements we have signed with other nations of the world. As a nation, we need to wake up and put on our strength to achieve the development we desire.”

  • Nigeria to modernise radar equipment at five airports

    Nigeria to modernise radar equipment at five airports

    The Federal Government has concluded plans to  modernise the air navigation equipment at strategic airports across the country.

    Significantly, it is engaging original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to facilitate the agenda.

    Investigations by The Nation show that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development has worked out a template to reach out to vendors across the globe to push the agenda of modernisation of key airports and air navigation equipment.

    Only at the weekend, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo,  visited Thales, the France-based global air surveillance radar provider.

    Accompanied by his team, which included aviation expert Layi Are, Keyamo aims to initiate an upgrade of the radar system of the  aviation industry.

     The ministerial delegation travelled to Rouen-Ymare, Thales’ headquarters, to inspect the latest radar equipment.

    “I have taken my time to come all the way because I want the best equipment for my country. I want the Nigerian aviation sector to compete favorably in terms of the installation of the latest equipment. That’s why I am here to take a tour and see the latest radar equipment in town,” stated  Keyamo.

    Read Also: Passengers in African airports to hit 300m by 2040

    Vice President of Thales, Civil Radars Segment, Lionel De Castellane, highlighted the need for the upgrade of Total Radar Coverage of Nigerian airport facilities, especially at major airports such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt.

    He drew attention to the ongoing TRACON – Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria –  project, initiated 18 years ago, emphasising the need for urgent modernisation.

    Castellane informed the Minister that phase one of the TRACON project, initially signed with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) in 2022, is 80 per cent  complete and scheduled for completion by May, this year.

    He said discussions on financing for the second and third phases were underway.

    Thales has secured a loan facility of €30.6 million from Commerzbank Group, a German financial institution, with the French Guarantee Agency providing backup support.

    “We’re only waiting for the Nigerian government to give us the nod to formalise the financing arrangements,  even as we speak, the Commerzbank director here in France is a call away anytime. She’s ready to travel to Nigeria for the formalities,, Costallane said.

  • Passengers in African airports to hit 300m by 2040

    Passengers in African airports to hit 300m by 2040

    Passengers processed through airports in Africa are projected to hit a 300-million mark by 2040.

    In 2022, a staggering seven billion air passengers traveled across the world’s 41,700 commercial airports, marking a remarkable over 50 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

    The figures, while reflecting a global trend, also cast a spotlight on the impressive growth of air travel in Africa.

    The continent witnessed over 178 million air travelers passing through its 477 airports in 2022.

    A breakdown by quarters showed a consistent rise in passenger numbers, with the first quarter seeing 35 million travelers within the continent, followed by nearly 42 million in the second quarter, 51 million in the third, and 49 million in the fourth quarter.

    While International Airport in Egypt took the top spot, with a total of 20 million passengers , the second and third spots went to South Africa’s O. R. Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport, with over 14 million and  seven  million passengers respectively.

    Egypt’s Hurghada International Airport followed in fifth place, while Addis Ababa-based Bole International Airport took sixth position.

    Meanwhile, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi ranked seventh, followed by Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, and Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers.

    Data from global industry airlines’ regulator : International Air Transport Association (IATA), indicates that the  continent’s passenger load factor will  grow 3.4 percent yearly , as airlines including carriers in Nigeria navigate around infrastructure constraints, blocked funds, high operating , prohibitive airport taxes and air navigation levies, lack of connectivity, regulatory impediments, slow adoption of global standards and skills shortages, among other factors.

    Despite the myriad of challenges, air transport on the continent holds great potential and growth opportunities as more investors set their footprints to unveil more airlines especially in Nigeria.

    But, experts familiar with the sector’s trajectory , have called on the Nigerian government to evolve measures that stifle the growth of airlines and related business in the air travel eco- system.

    According to data from IATA, there are at least 27 charges imposed by the Nigerian government on airlines running both local , regional and international flight operations.

    Speaking in an interview, IATA’s  Regional Vice President, Africa & Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi said  Lagos and Abuja airports  rank  the most expensive gateways in the region despite the poor state of their infrastructure.

    Besides, Nigeria currently has the highest figures   of airlines blocked funds on the continent hitting $850 million. Nigeria is trailed by Egypt with $348m, Algeria $199m, AFI zone $183m and Ethiopia $128mn.

    Investigations by The Nation reveal that Nigerian financial institutions charge over 25 per cent interest on loans, operate a regime of airport taxes with airlines paying high insurance premiums, six times higher than anywhere in the world. Experts say running airlines in other parts of the world presents cheaper operating costs.

    Confirming the development, Alawadhi said: “Every airline has its challenges and it depends on where it operates.  Nigeria has two most expensive airports; their fuel is higher than elsewhere in the world, and insurance is six times more expensive than anywhere else in the world.

    “The interest on loans is 25 percent. It is ridiculous. It is the highest interest I have ever seen. When you set up these airlines, you are already disadvantaged. Any airline in Nigeria operating outside of Nigeria has a cheaper operating cost and better prices than Nigerian airlines. You can see why it is difficult for African airlines to make profit.

    “IATA is identifying why these costs are high and we are trying to tackle them one by one by seeing how they can reduce the costs. We are expecting that the operating costs of the African airlines will be lowered and they can become profitable.”

    Nigeria along with Liberia and six other countries have been listed among the top African countries with high airport taxes and charges.

    Other countries include: Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Bangui, Sierra Leone, Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

    Worried over the development, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), has called on the Federal; Government to evolve measures that will keep the sector running.

    Its President, Demola Onitiju said the focus of the government should not be that of seeing aviation as a revenue generating sector.

    Rather, it should be seen as a catalyst, an enabler of socio-economic growth and development.

  • All female air traffic control personnel take charge at airports

    All female air traffic control personnel take charge at airports

    As part of activities to mark the World Air Traffic Controllers Day, celebrated globally on October 20, Nigeria made history by having an all female Air Traffic Control (ATC) Crew taking charge of all its control units nationwide including Area, Approach and Terminal Control.

    The initiative was the brain child of senior female Controllers, with the first female Controller in Nigeria, Mrs. Hauwa Danboyi, taking it up to get management approval.

    DGM, Air Traffic Management (ATM), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mrs. Kate Nnanna-Ibemgbo, chaired the Planning Committee which made the epoch-making event a reality.

    The event was to promote inclusion and diversity in the ATC profession, as well as celebrate women working in the profession.

    Mrs. Nnanna-Ibemgbo said: “We thought to come together and pool our individual strengths to achieve a collective strength and do what we know would project the core values of ATC in Nigeria. We also thought to show the inclusion in our profession. So there is synergy between the male and the female counterparts

    “So today it is an all female crew across the country simultaneously to show our unity in action. We thought it wise to come together and do something that would show the trajectory of how things happen in other climes.”

    DGM, Technical Evaluation and Manpower Development (NAMA), Mrs. Doris Ekeada, said: “This day makes me very proud because when I joined ATC in 1998, we were six, but now we are almost 50. So I am very proud that we have enough ladies to take charge of all the positions across the country today. It shows that what a man can do, a woman can also do.

    Read Also: NCAA to audit airports nationwide

    “ATC is a male dominated profession and because of all the challenges involved and the stress. And so we need to celebrate ourselves for thriving in this profession despite the other many responsibilities we have.

    “I will tell the upcoming generation that there is nothing they cannot accomplish, the sky is just the beginning. ATC is a proud and great profession.”

    A First Officer with Air Peace, Mrs. Atinuke Stanley-Kafu, spoke on the uniqueness of this important milestone. “It just means that times are changing and it is very inspiring for me. Even on normal days when one or two ladies are on the radio, it’s very respectful to hear another woman on the other side doing her thing and doing it excellently well. And I think this is an opportunity for other women who are coming into the aviation industry to be inspired as I have been inspired by other women who were there before me. This is an amazing day for all of us,” she enthused.

    The celebrations ended on a high note with the ladies encouraging each other to gear up for bigger responsibilities with a commitment to keep inspiring the next generation of ladies and girls not just in aviation, but across other professions.