The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Airports

  • Airports, airports everywhere… but few viable

    Airports, airports everywhere… but few viable

    There is growing discontent over billions of tax payers’ money being sunk into the construction of airports by many state governments. Besides the question mark on the viability of such money-guzzling projects due to their inability to attract passengers and cargo traffic, serious concerns have raised on the safety of the runways, KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR , writes

    Proposed Project
    states airports portfolio

    Ekiti N22 billion
    Osun N11 billion
    Nasarawa N20 billion
    Zamfara N28 billion
    Abia Not available
    Anambra N20 billion
    Ogun N22 billion
    Lagos N102 billion

    Existing states’ Portfolio

    airports

     

    Delta                   N40 billion

    Bauchi                N7.9 billion

    Katsina               N11 billion

    A/Ibom              N18 billion

    Delta                   N40 billion

    Jigawa                N15.5 billion

    Kebbi                  N17 billion

    Gombe                N7 billion

    Taraba            N10 billion

    All over the world, airports are considered as economic and social infrastructure. They are expected to be the catalyst for accelerated development in the localities where they are located.

    Besides being key to air transportation, airports also serve as a border posts between countries with its attendant security features.

    Apart from the 22 airports built by the Federal Government, many state governments have since discovered such facilities as both a status symbol. But not a few analysts view such efforts as a conduit and waste of public resources.

    The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Ameachi, hit the nail on the head at weekend when he cautioned state governments to pull the breaks and refrain from the establishment of airports.

    Ameachi’s advice came as many states groan under cash crunch following dwindling handouts from the Federation Account. The minister counselled governors to exert their energies on projects that would impact positively on the people.

    According to Amaechi, who spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, airport is a project that no governor should undertake at a time when the economy of the country is crawling. He, however, gave a caveat – unless such the socio–economic fortunes permit it.

    As far as he is concerned, more than half of the existing airports are commercially unviable.

    Ameachi said: “Governors should focus on those things that would improve on the lives of the poor, not the rich. It’s the rich people that fly in planes. How many poor people know where airport is more or less fly an aircraft?

    “I believe that the construction of airport should be backed by the growth of the economy. There are some airports that are constructed just for the governors to land and take off. That won’t be the idea for me as minister of transportation.

    “I’d rather prefer that all airports that are constructed would be backed by economic demand. And when we look at the numbers, if the numbers add up…We would not discourage Ogun State if you like to construct an airport, but we would like to advise that they should look at the economic advantage of an airport.”

    Some experts say the building of airports has become fashionable for many state governments without serious consideration for their viability. The viability or otherwise of state airports has stirred a heated debate.

    In contrast to the austere economy, state governments view the ownership of airports as a competition. Their concern is primarily on the ownership and not on the viability.

    The states that have built airports are: Bauchi, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Jigawa, Kebbi, Gombe and Taraba, even as Ekiti, Nasarawa, Osun, Ogun, Zamfara, Abia, Anambra and Lagos states wrap up plans to build their own.

    But, the viability of these multi-billion naira projects remains questionable, considering passenger and aircraft traffic originating and terminating from them.

    The states that are conceptualising their airports argue that the existence of such facilities in their domains would stimulate socio-economic activities. They believe airports will shore up business activities and attract investments.

    They also say the existence of airports will enhance the creation of hubs to facilitate export of agricultural produce from the hinterlands to urban centres.

    However, analysts argue that patronage of existing airports has not justified the investments. For instance, the Delta State Airport in Asaba, the state capital, gulped N40 billion.

    Initially, it was billed to cost N6.4 billion before it was reviewed four times due to runway expansion and the provision of other safety critical facilities.

    A few airlines, including Arik Air, Aero and Overland Airways were flying into the Asaba airport before it was downgraded for smaller aircraft by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    Air Peace, which joined the route, last year, has suspended its flight due to the downgrading of the airport. Flights into the aisrport are limited, raising fresh concerns over its viability.

    The Akwa Ibom Airport in Uyo was completed a few years ago. It was conservatively built at N18 billion. The airport has relatively been unviable as only a few airlines including Arik Air, DANA Air, First Nation and Discovery Airline (now rested) operate flights into it.

    The maintenance repair centre proposed for the Uyo Airport has not been achieved.

    Worried over the non-viability of the airport, the state government called on the Federal Government last year to take it over.

    In the Northwest, the Dutse Airport in Jigawa built by the administration of former Governor Sule Lamido at N15.5 billion remains one of the unviable terminals in the country.

    Its closeness to Yobe, Bauchi and Kano states has not attracted the envisaged patronage for the new airport which is only serviced by Overland Airways.

    With skeletal flight services between Abuja and Dutse, the state capital, the hope of facilitating agro-allied export from the airport remains a pipe dream.

    Speaking on the N15.5 billion airport recently, Lamido’s successor, Mohammed Abubakar, hinted of his administration’s plan to partner with investors to establish a flying training school in Dutse to make the airport viable.

    According to him, the idea is part of several measures being worked out to enhance the economic viability of Dutse International Airport.

    He said the state government has approached various investors in the aviation sector to establish a flying school in Dutse, adding that doing so remains the only way to make the airport beneficial to the state and its people.

    This, he said, was part of measures initiated by his administration to ensure effective utilisation of the airport for the benefit of the people of the state.

    His words: “We have been discussing on how best to utilise the airport. The state government is approaching investors who plan to have a flying school in Nigeria with a view to using our airport for training and build the school around the airport.

    “We are also looking at the option of hanger development as well, to fix aircraft. We have already approached a lot of companies around the globe.”

    Abubakar also spoke of a plan by his government to woo commercial farmers to set up green houses and cold rooms around the airport to stimulate export of perishable produce from the state.

    He explained that the measure would encourage the cultivation of perishable farm produce and promote export.

    “We pray that one of these options will materialise to make the airport completely viable,” the governor hoped.

    The Bauchi Airport, which was built at over N7.9 billion by the administration of former Governor Isa Yuguda , has been unviable and inactive. Save for few chartered flights and transportation of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia during hajj, the airport has limited flight operations.

    The concessioning of an aircraft acquired by the state government to Morocco underscored the viability of the airport.

    Besides its non-viability, the Bauchi Airport stirred a controversy last year when passengers aboard an Aero aircraft disembarked on the tarmac using a wooden ladder.

    The incident exposed the safety and security measures at the airport as the NCAA pointed out serious safety infraction.

    Taraba is another state in the Northeast that has built a N10 billion airport. The viability of the facility has been a big issue as only Overland Airways operate scheduled flights into the airport.

    In the same region, Gombe Airport in Gombe, the state capital, was built a few years ago with more than N7 billion of the tax payers’ money.  Till date, it attracts limited flight operations.

    Only Overland Airways organise flights to the airport from Abuja, raising question on the rationale for sinking fortunes into the construction of an airport that has not added any economic value to the state.

    The closeness of Yola to neigbouring Adamawa State has reduced the Yola Airport to an elephant project with no economic value to the agrarian state.

    In faraway Kebbi State, an airport was inaugurated in Birnin Kebbi, its capital. It was built for N17 billion in 2015.

    Sources confirm that the airport boosts of the best navigation facilities for foreign aircraft overflying the nation’s airspace. But, it has remained unprofitable to the state as only Air Peace operates skeletal flights, thrice weekly, between Lagos – Abuja and Birnin Kebbi.

    The Nation learnt that low passenger traffic discouraged other operators who were planning to open up the route.

    Experts argue that if the state government had been creative, it should evolve strategies to attract agricultural export from the state to other states and neighboring countries including Benin Republic, Niger and Chad.

    The airport in Katsina State, built a few years ago for a whopping N11 billion, has remained under utilised as no airline operate flights into it.

    Only recently, the state government spoke of plans to engage the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to assist in the management of the airport.

    Despite the under utilisation of existing airports and widespread criticisms, states government are unrelenting in their quest have airports of their own.

    In the Northcentral region, Nassarawa State is proposing a N20 billion airport in Lafia, the state capital.

    A deluge of criticisms trail the project. Aviation experts and politicians in the state describe it as a wasteful venture.

    Writing off the multi-billion project, Captain John Okakpu believes the airport cannot stimulate the growth of air cargo.

    According to him, Nasarawa Governor Umaru Al-Makura may not have been properly guided before deciding to build such an ambitious infrastructure.

    Statistics, he says, has shown that the airport will attract low patronage.

    Relying on International Air Transport Association (IATA) statistics and market analysis for last year, Okakpu insists that nothing has suggested that the airport will be viable and sustainable.

    His words: “To me, the government of Nasarawa ought to have devoted its strength to empowering farmers for agro-allied produce rather than building an airport.

    In Lagos State, work has advanced on the proposed cargo airport at the Epe / Lekki axis. The project, which is expected to gulp more than N102 billion, is being developed to service the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ).

    Of all the airport projects being planned, only that of Lagos State has not attracted much criticism. Many argue that a mega city state like Lagos deserves an alternate airport to relieve the congested Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja (MMIA).

    In Osun State, construction has started on the N11 billion Moshood Abiola International Airport billed for Ido Osun.

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola, whose administration is promoting the project argues the Osun Airport will not just be for passengers and cargo alone. He says the inclusion of a Hangar for the repair of aircraft will make it viable.

    Aregbesola said: “In the entire West African sub-sub-region, the only Hangar is in Ghana. When the Moshood Abiola International Airport is built, it will service the airlines in the country and those from neighbouring countries.

    “So, we are not just building an airport for an airport sake. We are building a facility different from the conventional passenger and cargo airports. Those who criticise us do so because they don’t have an idea of what we are doing.”

    But, controversy continues to trail the efforts of the Ekiti State government to build a N22 billion airport, which many have described as wasteful and not a priority to the Fountain of Knowledge State.

    Experts say the proximity of two airports – Akure and Ibadan to Ekiti is sufficient grounds for the state not to waste scarce resources on an airport, given the unviable state of the two airports in Oyo and Ondo states.

    The farmers, who lost economic trees to the acquisition of their farmlands by the state government for the project, recently staged a protest. But, Governor Ayodele Fayose has vowed that the first plane will touched down on the tarmac before the expiration of his tenure in 2018.

    In Anambra, work has started on a N5 billion airport.  Industry watchers however say the proximity of Asaba and Enugu airports to the state may render the proposed airport economically wasteful.

    Former managing director of defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL), Captain Mohammed Joji, said building airports should not be the priority of states in the face of dwindling revenues.

    He said in a recent interview: “The various states must first stimulate their economic environment, develop skills and develop agric/mineral resources on a mechanised/ large scale.

    “They should set up industries before embarking on building airports, which to us all are to serve the opulent lifestyles of few elite. States’ governors must first address the poor state of the roads, dilapidated hospitals, schools, lack of water, sanitation, unpaid salaries still bedeviling these states.

    “Regional approach to infrastructural deficits should be initiated. States should please not go to capital market or issue boards to build airports.

    “They should conduct a bankable feasibility/ viability analysis before embarking on airport construction. Let us see how many of them could pass viability tests. None, not even Lagos and Ogun that generateN22 billion and N7 billion monthly IGR.

    “If you have the fund, utilise it on critical infrastructural deficits that would add value. Let us have viable alternatives but not grandiose projects like airport with most of them unviable and could only turn to football pitches or abandoned in the nearest future or at best a tourist attraction or a cinema house. A word is enough.”

    Rather than embarking on what he called a waste, Joji has suggested that a state like Ekiti should drop the idea of building an airport and join hands with neighbouring  Ondo State to make the Akure airport viable.

    He equally advised Osun State government to cooperate with Oyo State to make the Ibadan airport more attractive.

    Sheri Kyari, the Managing Director of Finum Air Services, welcomes the idea of building airports for as long as facilities can be positioned in such a way that it could be made by the state government to be commercially viable.

    Kyari said state governments should subsequently open up the states for businesses and investments and ensure that embarking on such capital intensive projects will not tell deny the people dividends of democracy.

    He said: “I think it is alright. But, looking at the general trend of the economic challenges  confronting the country presently, I think embarking on such projects at this point in time is a mere wastage.”

    An airline operator, who pleaded for anonymity, called for the re-evaluation of some of investments in the aviation sector, particularly as it concerns the ongoing quest by every state to have an airport.

    Airports, he said are commercial enterprises and not charity.

    The operator said: “Once you commission an airport, just like an airplane, it has to stay operational in order to ensure the maintenance of its various state-of-the-art technologies and facilities or they rot due to redundancy.”

    According to him, the deployment of resources to construct and maintain airports had to match other economic realities, like the profitability of such investments, given other socio-economic needs of citizens.

    Since most airports in Nigeria are not viable, he called on governors and other stakeholders to learn how to get their priorities right.

    Aiports, belonging to state governments have become a study in isolation for industry experts.

    Apart from their unviable status, the airports lack adequate infrastructure and navigational facilities such as landing lights, short and narrow runways, fire service facilities, conveyor belt, fuel dump, motorised ladders and ambulance services.

    Studies have shown that only the private sector can effectively and efficiently manage airport terminals and also provide the needed infrastructure.

     

  • Minister cautions states against building airports

    •’It’ll serve only rich Nigerians’

    Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi has advised states to initiate projects to profit the  poor rather than pursuing ventures serving only the rich.

    Amaechi, who gave the advice at the weekend in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, while fielding questions from reporters, noted that airports were  elitist projects and would not benefit the poor.

    The minister, who was on an assessment visit to projects executed by the Ogun State government on behalf of the Federal Government, added that the country has many unviable airports.

    His words: “Governors should focus on things that would improve the lives of the poor, not the rich. It’s the rich people that fly planes. How many poor people know where airport is, let alone flying an aircraft?”

    “I believe that the construction of airport should be backed by the growth of the economy. There are airports that are built just for the governors to land and take off. That won’t be the idea for me as a minister of Transportation.

    “I’d prefer that airports that are built would be backed by economic demand. We would not discourage Ogun State if you like to build an airport, but we would like to advise that they should look at the economics of an airport,” Amaechi said.

    But he promised the state  of Federal Government support, if it wants to build an airport.

    The miniser said the Federal Government would complete new terminals in four international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano.

    He said he was in the state to ascertain some federal roads built by the government.

    Amaechi announced that a railway line between Lagos and Calabar as well as Lagos and Kano would begin this year.

    “I am convinced that most of the roads have been built. By the time we write the report, we have engineers, we have people from the Public Procurement Department, they would assess the cost and put it in the report,” he said.

    But Governor Ibikunle Amosun solicited the support of the minister in ensuring the completion of the abandoned airport project in Ewekoro Local Government Area.

    “It’s being built by the Federal Government.  In fact, it is the oldest airport they have in Nigeria. It was done in 1940/41; that was what they were using during the World War and that’s why we have the Commonwealth cemetery there. Somehow, after the war, nobody said anything about it.

    “But 12 years ago, Federal Government started again. Everything has been done. Contractors have even been mobilised to site before they stopped funding it.

    “Ogun State is the industrial  hub of Nigeria. There is no nation that would develop if the industries are not there. Even in the radius of five kilometres, in the United States, we have about four airports, we have examples in London.

    “But for us, it is not just for the governor to land; people would want to move their goods and services, people will want to come and that’s why we need an airport here. And in any case, the airport in Lagos, where can it expand to? It’s congested,” the governor said.

  • FAAN begins airfield lighting at airports

    FAAN begins airfield lighting at airports

    •Infrastructure gap to be bridged for ICAO audit

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at the weekend began the installation of airfield lighting at 13 airports to reduce cancelation of domestic flights occasioned by poor visibility at runways.

    It was learnt that the installation, which includes replacement of dead bulbs and improved air field lighting, would reduce the complaints by domestic airlines that they were losing millions of naira daily over inability of aircraft to land at airports.

    Confirming the development, the General Manager, Public Affairs FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said the move to fix airport infrastructure is coming on the heels of concerns by ICAO that Nigeria requires air field lighting at the airports and air sides to enhance landing and takeoff of aircraft even at nights or low visibility occasioned by adverse weather conditions.

    The new step to improve safety is coming about a month after the International Civil Aviation  Organisation (ICAO) tasked Nigeria to take urgent steps to ensure critical safety equipment were provided at the airside of airports nationwide .

    ICAO said problems associated with runways were critical issues that Nigeria must provide to aircraft land and take off in during low visibility.

    Dati said the installation of air field lighting at 13 airports has kicked off.

    The 13 airports are: Lagos, Ilorin, Benin , Calabar, Enugu , Owerri , Port Harcourt , Abuja, Maiduguri, Yola, Kano ,Jos and Akure .

    He said: “In order to urgently install all the necessary landing aids, FAAN and NAMA are collaborating with ICAO to ensure that the provision of airside facilities meets given international standards.

    “I believe by the time we complete the installation of runway lights in these 13 airports, flight cancellations due to poor visibility will reduce to the barest minimum and airlines can fly to these airports in the night. This is our focus and we are working hard to ensure we meet the expectation of our airlines.

    “Some of the airports already have airfield lighting, but we need to replace dead bulbs, which we have almost completed. We decided to concentrate on airport development on runway and provision of airfield lighting and bulbs to enhance safety,” Dati said.

  • ‘Sorry for your luck!’  Are Nigerian airports really a sorry case?

    ‘Sorry for your luck!’  Are Nigerian airports really a sorry case?

    Owning to widespread criticsm and condemnation of Nigerian airports as the worst in the world, Gboyega Alaka with reports from correspondents across the country attempts an appraisal. 

    When in October last year, CNN’s report on worst airports in the world went viral, one part of it that stood out like a sore thumb was that part about Nigeria’s Port Harcourt International Airport. The introductory line, which read: ‘Traveling through Nigeria’s Port Harcourt International Airport anytime soon? Sorry for your luck’, hit close to home, worse than a Boko Haram bomb – especially if you are a patriotic Nigerian, who still retains the legendary pride for country in spite of everything.

    But surprisingly, it generated little uproar or controversy. There were no denials, heated debates or rebuttals, as Nigerian’s are generally want to do each time negative the international community pronounces such negative appraisal or verdict on the country’s state of affairs. It just seemed like Nigerians, this time, agreed with the result of the survey conducted by the travel website, ‘The Guide to Sleeping in Airports.’ Quite unlike the hue and cry that followed the labelling of Nigeria as a terrorist nation or the prediction that the country would break up in 2015 by the United States of America, a near ‘mum’ seemed to be the word. Naturally, many took that for an assent, as the flying community in the country is quite sizable and could have generated enough heated noise if they thought otherwise.

    The only major dissenting voice, and which is natural, since they had to do their job, was the Federal Government of Nigeria, through a statement by its Aviation Ministry’s permanent Secretary, Hajia Binta Bello. The ministry rejected the survey, saying it was not reflective of the reality of Nigerian airports. Speaking with journalists shortly after the report was released; the Permanent Secretary said Nigerian airports are not as bad as portrayed in the survey. She admitted that there may be challenges, owing to construction works that were ongoing, but that these would soon be over, and did not warrant such negative rating.

    Bello said it was up to the readers (by implication Nigerian aviation patrons) “to agree or disagree on the rating”. If one is to go by that index and by their silence therefore, one might as well say that the ‘readers’ have indeed spoken.

    Breaking down the parameters for the survey, Sleeping in Airports said facilities were assessed based on comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service. It said about the Port Harcourt Airport that “Respondents reportedly complained about unpleasant and unhelpful staff, alleged corruption, a severe lack of seating (sic), broken air-conditioning and the fact that the arrivals hall was inside a tent.”

    As if echoing the Permanent Secretary’s claim of ‘ongoing’ construction works, the website said “The good news is that some areas of the terminal have been recently renovated, meaning you can expect actual walls, floors and windows.”

    That survey also listed three Nigerian airports: Port Harcourt International Airport, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos amongst the 10 Worst Airports on the African continent. The report becomes more embarrassing when juxtaposed with the fact that these same airports are amongst the best the nation can boast of.

    But are Nigerian airports so so bad? Or is this a hatchet job by the nation’s so called enemies and detractors. The Nation, through its correspondents scattered all over the country went out to see for itself.

    Port Harcourt International Airport

    Naturally, the Port Harcourt International Airport was the first place to start with. Reputed to be the third busiest airport in the country, the airport underwent extensive renovation and upgrading under the former President Goodluck Jonathan. As we speak, the departure terminal, which received a lot of flacks in that survey, has been completed, but the arrival terminal said to be ‘in tent,’ which repair commenced about the same time, has been abandoned. Visitors from late last year would recall that the terminal looked more like a sinking section, as it sometimes appeared muddy and nauseating.

    In the words of our correspondent in that zone, “The abandoned arrival terminal has been replaced with makeshifts or what passengers described as canopy, which has defaced the international airport.”

    This reporter recalls the situation of the toilets last August, when he passed through the airports. The eyesore was such that two of the toilets were broken and three of the pots in the urinary section were completely out of use. This is not to talk of the stench and the bottle flies. The situation got everyone wondering if an international airport needed special intervention or funding to fix toilets.

    A passenger, Felix Mbah said the condition of the airport worsened because of the political face-off between the former President Jonathan and the former governor of its host Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is now Minister for Transportation.

    Mbah is surprised that Jonathan allowed politics to swallow the plan he had for the state. He reached this conclusion on the premise that other airports, which renovation works commenced at about the same time as the airport, have been completed.

    Another respondent, Martins Chukwudah agreed that the attention from the airport indeed shifted towards the end of the former president’s tenure, but blamed the governor nevertheless for ‘castigating’ the president.

    Amaka Diala however pleads with the new government in power to inherit the project. Her major worry, she said is the fact that the abandoned project may not be part of the 2016 budget.

    Diala said the fact that the terminal remains a canopy is also responsible for its present situation, where there is neither a television set for entertainment and information to travellers, nor air-conditioners for comfort.

    A Public Relations Officer at the airport, who identified herself as Mrs Woke declined to comment on the matter, saying she has no capacity to speak on the abandoned project.

    But a senior airport official of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), who pleaded for anonymity, said apart from its porous security network, the airport has also been a victim of the political battle between the former president and former governor of the state.

    He said the former minister in charge of Aviation, Stella Oduah “really tried but could not do better because of politics. She constructed other airports including that of Owerri and left Port Harcourt Airport looking like poultry.”

     

    Lagos: Murtala Muhammed International Airport

    At the Lagos Airport, there is a growing concern amongst users over the state of operational facilities at both the land and air sides at the domestic and international terminals. Though some of the facilities are currently being upgraded, including the much criticised toilets, they insist that there is a huge room for improvement. The toilets at the arrival and departure sections are now in commendable conditions, leaving more of the work in the hands of the maintenance staff. Both the Eastern and Western wings of the domestic terminal airport otherwise known as General Aviation Terminal (GAT) are also enjoying a new lease of life; but the story at the international terminal is not so sweet. Our correspondent at the airport says there are mounting complaints over maintenance culture at the toilets.

    Comrade Abah Ocheme, a passenger said there is need for the airport authority to improve on existing facilities, including the toilets.

    There are also complaints over the epileptic air-conditioning system, which many say is an embarrassment to the nation. Investigation revealed that FAAN would require about N900 million to completely overhaul the air-conditioners – a huge sum by the present economic standard, you ask.

    Another traveller complained about the over-crowdedness at the local wing of the airport, especially on days when the airlines decide to keep passengers waiting endlessly. He said on a very bad day, the poor condition of the air-conditioners is underlined by the sight of passengers sweating profusely.

    However, there seems to be a ray of hope in the horizon, as the Minister for Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, recently gave the airport authority a six-month timeline to completely correct the situation.

    There have also been calls from security experts on the government to address the shortage of aviation security personnel, provide operational equipment, complete the construction of the perimeter fencing and install close circuit cameras at the airport. Notable amongst these experts are the Director of Security Services (DSS) FAAN, Mr Jemide Omaghomi, head of Aviation Security at the airport, Mr Festus Adeboye and the Regional Manager, South West FAAN, Mr Solomon Odugbemi.

    They also called for a reworking of the existing airports security architecture, to bring about regular surveillance and identify areas of vulnerability.

    Omoghomi harped on the need to improve on efforts to boost airport security from the challenges of last year, if the current economic downturn would enable the government to purchase the requisite operational equipment and tools.

    Odugbemi on his part said plans are in place to deploy X-ray machines to complement other screening machines meant to secure passenger luggage at airports. The regional manager, while imploring the government to provide the required equipment to ensure that the airports are secured, said he looks forward to ensuring that the entire airport is covered with CCTV cameras. He called on the contractors to fully deploy the equipment on ground to improving the security of the facility.

    Adeboye of aviation security canvassed for the recruitment of additional 7,000 aviation security personnel to complement the existing workforce.

     

    Abuja: Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport

    At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the domestic terminal remains shut off from travellers and airlines due to ongoing reconstruction work. This has prompted a skillfull demarcation of the international wing to seamlessly handle both domestic and international travellers.

    Aside that, the airport looks to be in a fair condition. Amenities for security screening, air-conditioners, toilets and other facilities work properly and the environment appears neat always. The buildings also appear very clean, well organised and air-conditioned. This may not be unconnected to the fact that it is in the nation’s capital and regularly witness the passage of VIPs, including the president, ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.

    The personnel, including uniformed and undercover security teams appear courteous and effective in most parts of the airport.

    However, although the airport boasts of a wide expanse of parking space, the closest parking lot tends to be regularly congested. This gets even worse when convoys of important personalities arrive to either pick or drop their family members or associates.

    Another downside of the airport would be in the area of taxi charges to town. The prices which range between N5,000 and N6,000, may be way too high even for some international travellers. Some local travellers have even argued that the price of taxi to town just a few kilometres away is almost equivalent to what they pay by road from Lagos to the same Abuja, a journey of hundreds of kilometres.

     

    Jos: Yakubu Gowon International Airport

    This airport was one of the 22 listed for renovation and expansion across the nation by the immediate past administration. It was to be redesigned as a cargo terminal for the export of perishable goods.

    General Manager, Corporate Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu Dati said “with the removal of duty on spare parts, FAAN is expecting additional 30 planes to boost the sector.

    According to him, countries like Israel rake in millions of dollars from exporting roses every year, adding that with the abundant agricultural produce in the country, such an action would encourage farmers, not only to produce food for subsistence, but also for the international market.

    He said, “The Jos Airport will be equipped with storage facilities like refrigeration to ensure that such produce were kept intact before export and called on farmers to take advantage of the revolution in the aviation sector.

    Datti said “The new aviation plan is to develop cities and infrastructure around the airport in a concept called aerotropolis, so that people don’t necessarily go to the town for conferences and such like.

    However, the much talked about renovation has been abandoned due to lack of fund. The contractor has abandoned the work on the claim that the government has not released fund for the project.

    The good news according to Dati however is that the president has promised to complete the renovation, adding that adequate provisions have been made for it in the 2016 budget.

     

    Bauchi: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport

    Commissioned recently by the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, the Bauchi International Airport may well be the newest airport in the country. The then Governor Isa Yuguda constructed the airport named after Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa according to the Canada-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements. The airport is thus rated among the best in the country, with a 4 kilometre-Runway.

    The Bauchi air pad is also the first in the northeast geopolitical zone. Progressives in the state believe the new airport will attract visitors and generate revenue to the state through tourism, agriculture, mineral resources, sports and political meetings.

    Being relatively new also means that the facilities are still pretty much in good conditions. The airport which cost over N13 billion, has an 80-metres wide runway, 8 meters shoulders on each side, 50 meters carriage-way, with the latest communication gadgets, navigational equipment and airfield lightings, including landing lights approach.

    The fire station is equipped with latest functional international fire fighting trucks and equipment installed with well-trained fire-fighting personnel. The terminal building is made up of Domestic and International Wings, functional adequately equipped nine-storey control tower and a runway constructed to ICAO specifications.

     

    Enugu: Akanu Ibiam International Airport

    Upgraded to an international airport in 2010, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu is yet to attain full international standard. Initial work commenced on February 10, 2010 with the closure of the airport by the FAAN for the first phase of major renovation and expansion. It was re-opened on December 16, 2010.

    However, its status as an international airport did not materialise until 2013, when the runway was completed with the Ethiopian Airline being the first to operate an international flight there. Till today, it’s only the Ethiopian Airline that plies the Enugu route. Other airlines are yet to connect.

    The zero interest being exhibited by other airlines may be attributed to the non-completion of the new terminal building which is under construction. The old one was completed alongside the runway. The new Terminal Building which is put at the cost of N11.6billion is being handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCEC) and it is expected to be completed by March this year.

    Already, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) has built the Customs Bonded Warehouse for the storage of large consignment of goods. Also other basic facilities needed for the smooth operation of the airport are already in place, while further maintenance work on the runway was being carried out to tackle some identified challenges, including the poor drainage system.

    An official of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria who will not like his name mentioned said that the airport has continued to receive due attention since it was upgraded.

    He said some of the equipment needed for installation at the international wing are already on ground. Both the domestic and international flight operations are currently being handled from the remodelled domestic terminal, where the FAAN, Immigration, Customs and Airlines personnel are accommodated.

    Furthermore, a private investor, NECI Land Development Corporation Limited has proposed the East Gate Enugu Airport City Development project on a virgin land adjacent to the airport. The project has potentials of creating a wide range of business opportunities in the state and the entire East.

    • Correspondent reports by: Kelvin Osa Okunbor, (Lagos), Precious Dikewoha (Port Harcourt), Yusufu Aminu Idegu (Jos) Chris Oji (Enugu) Jide Babalola (Abuja) Austine Tsenzughul (Bauchi)
  • Wanted: Modernised airports

    Wanted: Modernised airports

    The ranking of three Nigerian airports among the worst in Africa by a Canadian group, A Guide to Sleeping in Airports, has rekindled the debate on the need to privatise or concession airports, Kelvin Osa Okunbor reports

    There is growing discontent  over public ownership and management of airports.

    This is fuelling agitations  for the government to consider options for making the airports more functional and effective.

    According to experts,  privatising or concessioning the airports would lead to better running and make the  imports comparable with others  worldwide.

    They say  either of the two models has brought about efficient airport management in United Kingdom, France, Indonesia, Germany, Russia and Spain.

    In separate interviews, Chief Executive Officer, Belujane Konzults,  Mr Chris Aligbe; President, Aviation Roundtable, Mr Gbenga Olowo; former Director of Operations, Nigeria Airways Limited, Captain Dele Ore and former Assistant Secretary, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Alhaji Mohammed Tukur;  a pilot and consultant, Captain Daniel Omale and an aviation security expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd),  said privatising the airports would make them more efficient and functional.

    In its 2015 survey, A Guide to Sleeping in Airports, a Canadian organisation, rated Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos airports as the first, seventh and 10th worst in Africa.

    To address these lapses, some experts have called for management companies to improve the efficiency and profitability of the 22 airports managed bythe Federal Government.

    In particular, Aligbe and Ojikutu said airport management companies had become imperative to address the inefficient running of the facilities.

    To analysts, airports owned and managed by the government were too humongous to be handled by the government.

    According to Aligbe, pairing some airports for effective management by the proposed companies will ensure better services and development of some terminals described as unviable.

    The airport authority, he said, is saddled with too many tasks that it may not be able to focus on providing the required services and run the terminals profitably at the same time.

    The management companies, he said, will focus on enhanced non-aeronautical sources of revenue for the airports while the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) will focus on operational and technical areas.

    Aligbe said: “There is an urgent need to fix the entire airports in Nigeria to make them viable. This is one of the ways to better run the airports if the facilities are in top gear.

    “The next major problem is the way the airports are run. We need the right model on how to run the airports.

    “ The central management system cannot bring about efficiency in  airport management.

    “Airports are not run that way, if we need to have good airports in this country, we must concession them. It must be done in a way that government will take concession revenues and royalties from where it will reorganise the system.

    “Government should consider setting up a holding company to oversee her interest in the concessioned airport and to ensure the implementation of the terms of the concessions. This will involve terms. There are various strategies to airport concession. The airports need to be paired for income generation and development.”

    Other experts have proposed various models for airport ownership and management, saying that a quasi-monopoly is the way to go to make the terminals functional. They said the private sector privatisation model embraced by many developed countries had brought about efficient airports.

    They cited the model adopted in the United Kingdom, France , Spain, Germany and Russia.

    But, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello and the Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, disagreed with the experts.

    To Hajia Bello, privatisation was not the solution because many airports in the country are not viable.

    Currently, only the  Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal (MMA2 ) Ikeja, Lagos and the Osubi Airport in Delta State are managed by private sector players.

    Other terminals numbering about seven are managed by Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Delta, Gombe, Katsina, Jigawa and Kebbi states.

    However, aviation experts have proposed two radical solutions, especially for airports with a minimum annual traffic of five million passengers.

    In the view of Omale: “The first is full privatisation, while the second is leasing (concession).

    “The Conservative government in Britain adopted the first model successfully in 1987. It privatised the British Airports Authority, raking in $2.3 billion from the sale. In 2009, Heathrow and Stansted generated a combined revenue of $4.27 billion.

    “The other workable model, which the government could consider, is partial privatisation or leasing. Examples  include the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France; and Frankfurt, Germany.

    “While the airport in France generated $3.66 billion in 2009, the one in Germany receipted $2.74 billion. The Madrid Airport, Spain, which is in the process of privatisation, raked in $4.16 billion the same year,” he said.

    According to him, the government should seriously consider the privatisation option for airports because the huge funds sunk into airport remodeling in the last few years has not paid off.

    He said: “ It is time for a new reality on how Nigeria’s airports should be improved and managed. It is a big shame that many airport terminal buildings are still dilapidated; all of them require renovation to completion stage.

    “Many airports have been abandoned for the past years, and the contractors have left sites for reasons ranging from lack of payment. These factors have always contributed to the core reason government cannot manage businesses.

    “Whatever the case, it’s time for government to hands off investment in our airports. Privatisation is the absolute way forward.  All over the world, buying airports has become something of investment fad,” Omale added.

    Among the 22 airports managed by FAAN, the most efficient still remains the MM2, which is run by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (BASL).

    Investigations revealed that BASL has spent close to N1 billion in the past three years on facility upgrade at MMA2. These include electronic gates, self-check-in kiosks and automatic baggage reconciliation system  and passenger tracking system .

    The terminal has uninterrupted power to facilitate seamless operations at its 45 check-in counters equipped with common user systems and baggage handling facilities.

    To Tukur privatising the airports would make them more consumer friendly as is the practice in other parts of the world.

    He said: “About privatisation of specific airports; it is done in advanced countries and that is how it ought to be, to enhance efficiency in the system. Those opposing privatisation do not mean well for the sector.

    “We are not saying the government should sell the entire airports, but facilities like the run-ways, terminal buildings and other maintenance services can be managed by private investors. For example, we have Bi-Courtney aviation services in place and those facilities can go to the Bi-Courtney. In fact, we need more Bi-Courtney aviation services for local, international and other places.

    “Take London airport for instance, private investors are those running some of the facilities there. Government provide those facilities for private investors to manage them prudently, and that is exactly what we need in this country,” Tukur said.

    For him, the duty of the government is to supervise and provide security not getting involved in the day-to-day management of airports. Government, he argued, should only retain a percentage of the business. Private investors should run the facilities to make more revenue, rather than leaving everything to collapse in the hands of government officials to the detriment of the economy, he said.

    An example of how privatisation can benefit the country is the N63.5 billion spent on the second runway under construction at the Abuja airport.

    “If our airports had been privately managed, the Federal Government would have been able to save this fund and deploy it to other critical social needs,” Tukur said.

    In May, a former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, endorsed public-private partnership in the development and management of critical infrastructure including airports.

    He said: ”I doubt if there is still anyone uncertain of the fact that Public- Private Partnership (PPP) in the development and management of critical infrastructure is the most effective way to build a sustainable economy.

    “We contracted a polling company to question passengers and the result we got from them is that most of our airports are under performing.

    “They ranked most of our airports below average. I think only MMA2 (domestic terminal, Lagos Airport) came out with a 3.2 score out of 5; and we believe that only two airports among those they surveyed scored up to 2.7 and 2.6. The rest were below 2.5. This is a customer perception index to find out what the customers think,” he said.

    What, perhaps, is most instructive in all of this is that MMA2 is the only privately-run airport in the country and its pre-eminence in the industry is hinged on its distinct features with  state-of-the-art facilities, including a terminal building, a multi-storey car park, hotel, conference centre, and an apron, Chidoka said.

    He added:“This is, indeed, one more step in the aviation industry to make the airport customer-friendly. What MMA2 has done today is to show that what passengers and other airport users see in Dubai, Paris, UK and U.S can be eminently replicated here in Nigeria.”

    The Senate ad-hoc Committee on Aviation was told last week that most of the facilities and equipment at the airports were obsolete having been acquired over 30 years ago, hence, the poor rating of airports due to paucity of funds to replace them.

    Hajia Bello said budgetary provisions alone was not enough to transform the airports.

  • Rehabilitate airports’ facilities, Union urges minister

    Rehabilitate airports’ facilities, Union urges minister

    The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Friday urged the new Minister of State for Aviation, Capt Hadi Sirika, to concentrate on rehabilitating infrastructure and facilities across the airports in the country.

    NUATE’s Acting General Secretary, Mr Olayinka Abioye, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Abioye said that facilities in some of the nation’s airports were also obsolete and needed upgrading in line with international standard.

    He said that the country could not be at par with the international community if the country’s point of entry were in an obsolete state.

    “We wish that the new minister of state for aviation will inspect the facilities and infrastructure at all the airports in the country,” he said.

    Abioye urged Sirika to ensure the completion of the ongoing construction of new airport projects in the country as a matter of urgency.

    According to him, the aviation minister should ensure stability and sustainability of the aviation industry as the industry still remains one of the engine rooms of the Nigerian economy.

    He said more foreign direct investment (FDI) would come into the country if Nigeria should put necessary infrastructure in place in the aviation sector.

    Abioye also called for the restructuring of the various aviation agencies and parastatals to enable them perform their statutory functions effectively.

    He said, “As I speak, there are more support staff than the productive ones in the industry.

    “This cuts across the parastatals and we need to look at a way to streamline this critical area for efficient delivery of aviation service to the airport users.”

     

  • Hall of shame

    •Port Harcourt Airport wins a global award – the worst in the world!

    Airports must be modern man’s closest thing to the sacred groves of yore. It is even more so with international gateways through which peoples from all over the world enter and exit a country. Therefore, apart from perhaps, presidential villas, the pristine seat of every country’s power, international airports and their entire precincts are the best kept and best guarded places in the world today.

    It is trite that most up and doing governments would be fastidious about their international entry points — especially airports — for the simple reason that they afford the visitor the first impression about the country being visited. An unkempt arrival and departure lounges as well as smelly, crowded and rickety facilities would immediately reflect the quality of the government and people of the country being visited.

    It is for this reason that we are troubled by the recent damning assessment of the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), situated in the heart of the oil-rich Niger Delta, Nigeria’s southern-most end. The facility is probably Nigeria’s most important entry point for foreigners being the convenient route for expatriate staff of oil companies in that zone.

    The 2015 survey report by Sleeping in Airports, an affiliate journal of CNN, has named PHIA the worst terminal in the world to ply. The poll had requested fliers to indicate the worst and best aviation terminals they encounter in their trips. The criteria considered are comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service.

    But PHIA, Nigeria’s number three airport, earned the global prize as the worst route to ply because fliers found its staff unpleasant and unhelpful, found corruption rife in transactions at the airport, found lack of seats and endured broken down air-conditioners.

    It must be noted, however, that work has been on-going at the airport for quite a while and a good part of the facility is in a make-shift state. That much, the report acknowledged; stating that some parts of the terminal have been recently renovated and that improvements are being made.  It, however, added that these improvements were a far cry from the norm. And no less telling point: efforts by the pollsters (CNN) to get comments from aviation authorities in Nigeria were to no avail. Perhaps there may be some plausible reasons why PHIA is in such deplorable state, but the authorities could not be bothered.

    Whatever the case may be, this scandalous rating of an airport in Nigeria is a tar on the Federal Government and an indictment of the management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). It is worthy of note that petty politics may have got in the way of the renovation and upgrade of the facilities of the PHIA, which has been stalled for a long time.

    Recall that the former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Amaechi and former President Goodluck Jonathan had been locked in a feud for about two years culminating into the general elections early in the year. This is one example how political conflicts could have a direct negative impact on economic development.

    Beyond politics, however, the Federal Government, especially in the last 16 years, has not lived up to expectations in the development and maintenance of the nation’s strategic infrastructure.

    For instance, for over a decade, the major road leading to the nation’s premier gateway, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos has been a poor advertisement for whatever good Nigeria represents. But government could not muster the will to revamp that all important road. It remains an eyesore till today. It is the same attitude towards such strategic infrastructure like oil pipelines and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, to name a few.

    We demand a complete change of attitude by government towards major public facilities. It is indeed a shame that Nigeria’s PHIA leads a class of infamy made up of such countries like Nepal, Haiti, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

    Not the best league to be in, is it?

  • FAAN to improve cargo clearing at airports

    FAAN to improve cargo clearing at airports

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria  ( FAAN) is working with the Association of Nigeria Customs Licensed Agents  ( ANCLA) to improve the clearing process of cargo at the airports.

    The Managing Director of FAAN,  Saleh Dunoma, stated this over the weekend in Lagos, during an inspection tour of on-ongoing projects at   Lagos Airport.

    Dunoma said in pursuit of diversification of source of revenue from aeronautical sources to other sources, cargo operations will soon become a mainstay of the authority’s  operations.

    According to  Dunoma, the limitations are due to the laid-down procedures and processes that must be followed.

    He revealed that cargo terminals are built all over the country to take advantage of the agricultural potential.

    He, however, assured the  public that efforts are being made to fast-track the system.  He said:”The regulators and operators, that is, the Customs and FAAN, are working together with the clearing agents to make sure that clearing at the airport is expedited.”

    He further stated that the new cargo terminals  being constructed will stimulate exports, especially perishable produce, and will be of utmost benefit to the  public.

    Meanwhile, the proposed cannibalisation of disused aircraft at the domestic terminal of Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja is being delayed by the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) pending the outcome of the screening being carried out by its legal department .

    This development was confirmed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications  of FAAN , Mr Yakubu Dati .

    He said  the planned removal of the abandoned and disused planes is being delayed to take care of  legal issues affecting the aircraft and their owners.

  • Bribery: Why ICPC is focusing on airports, by Nta

    Bribery: Why ICPC is focusing on airports, by Nta

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, said the agency is focusing on eradication of bribery at the airport to check acts capable of denting the nation’s image.

    He added that the airports serve as gateways to the country, adding that existence of corruption in these areas would speak volume about the country’s integrity.

    Nta said although ICPC was not out to put its operatives permanently at airports, the agency would rid these entry points of bad eggs.

    He made the clarifications at ICPC stakeholders’ meeting on Corruption Risk Assessment in aviation sector at NCAA Annex Murtala Muhammed Airport.

    A statement by the Resident Media Consultant to ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, quoted Nta as saying:  “The reason why the commission  is paying attention to the aviation is because airports are the gateways to international community.

    “International airports are first points of contact to the outside world. It speaks volumes about Nigeria’s image.

    “We hope to achieve the same standard of services offered in any recognised airport in the world. When corruption is eliminated in the aviation sector, passengers would have safety.

    ’’I am very happy at the state of affairs at our airports. The days when officials openly demand for bribe are gone.”

    Nta expressed the hope that after the corruption risk assessments in all the aviation agencies, open corruption by officials would be a thing of the past.

    The anti-graft boss, however, reiterated that the risk assessment was not in any way an investigation into the agencies concern, stressing that similar thing was done in the education sector.

    Nta said the commission would not station any of his officials permanently at the airport.

    The commission, he added, was carrying out one of its mandates of enlightenment for attitudinal change among Nigerians to curb corruption.

    He called on security agencies at airports to ensure they discharge their duties optimally with screening of passengers, which must be all inclusive of people passing through the airports.

    Nta, who described the car hire service operators as the best public relations officers at the airport, urged them to represent the nation well, particularly before foreigners coming into the country.

    The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Hajia Binta Bello, hailed the ICPC for the drastic reduction of open bribery and corruption at the international airports.

    She said passengers coming into the country were now testifying to the good conduct of airport officials as against the open bribery and corruption known hitherto at the airports.

    The permanent secretary said the stakeholders’ meeting was part of efforts to fight corruption in the aviation sector

    Binta added:  ‘’We cannot do it alone, hence our partnership with ICPC. Since we started this partnership since October 2014, there had been tremendous changes in the attitude of our officials, particularly in Lagos and Abuja airports.

    “This meeting is on the risk assessment to be carried out in all the aviation agencies. The collaboration between aviation and ICPC is working.”

    Over 200 stakeholders attended the interactive session.

    Members were drawn from NDLEA, FAAN, Customs, NAMA, Nigerian Quarantine Service, AIB, Immigration and Travel Agents.

  • Margaret Ekpo, Aminu Kano airports are best, says FAAN

    Margaret Ekpo, Aminu Kano airports are best, says FAAN

    The Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, have been adjudged the best performing airports  by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    The awards were based on the Performance Management System (PMS) rating by the authority’s Department of Planning.

    The rating is an initiative for FAAN to measure, monitor and improve airport management and service quality through assessment to improve travellers’experience.

    The awards, which were presented by the Managing Director of FAAN, Saleh Dunoma, at an event, was given in the category of Best Performing Domestic Airport for Calabar, and Best Performing International Airport for Kano. They were received by the airports’ managers, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni (Calabar) and Alhaji Gambo Aboki (Kano).

    Margaret Ekpo International Airport Calabar emerged as the Best Domestic Airport in the first quarter of th year while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport emerged as Best International Airport in the country.