Experts and players from about 53 countries in Africa, last week gathered in Durban, South Africa to examine the vexed issue of service delivery at airports on the continent at the 23rd Airports Council International Africa Regional Conference. KELVIN OSA-OKUNBOR, who attended, reports.
If air transport in Africa must live up to expectations, as the vital catalyst to drive economic development, governments and African leaders must devote more funds to airport projects, experts have said.
Inadequate funding, they said, remained a stumbling block to unlocking the huge potentials of airport development, and the strategic role air transport infrastructure could play in turning around the economies of countries in the continent.
The experts spoke at the just concluded Airports Council International Africa Conference in Durban , South Africa.
Other than more priority being given to funding, operators and managers of airports, as the first point of contact into countries, must step up measures to improve the quality of service, a key strategy to enhance revenue generation.
They expressed worry that the levels of investments in airports in Africa are inadequate, saying that governments must do enough in this respect if African countries hope to leverage on aviation as a contributor to the continent’s economy .
In his presentation, the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Dunoma Saleh, said there is improved security process across the 22 airports owned by the authority, through the installation of safety and security equipment.
According to him, FAAN provided an effective platform that led to the successful fight against Ebola in Nigeria by coordinating screening processes.
The team, led by FAAN Director of Airport Operations, Capt Henry Omeogu, showcased the transformational strides in airport operations with the simultaneous remodelling of 22 airports across Nigeria.
The two-day conference, with theme : service excellence, attracted 59-member in Africa operating in 251 airports.
Angela Gittens, the Director-General, ACI worldwide, said airports should build brand loyalty and provide a service that differentiated from others to attract air travellers.
She said passengers can forget almost anything at an airport as long as they feel safe and it is clean. According to her, they would also like the ambiance, the feel they get when they walk into a terminal, a sense of order and security.
Earlier, while welcoming delegates, Pascal Komla, President of ACI Africa said with the theme “Service Excellence” the event provided a unique opportunity for airport and aviation executives, experts and exhibitors from across the globe to network, share information and forge a common vision for the future of the African airport business.
Ali Tounsi, the Secretary General of ACI Africa, said there are large discrepancies across the continent with some very high and low levels of services and standards, partly attributed to different cultures, languages and geographical dimensions.
“A big challenge is the issue of safety with the African continent having the worst safety ranking in the world” he said. He added that “With so much happening economically in Africa, in the next few years, airports would play a hugely important role and had to have priority attention”
In his presentation , the ACI World Director in charge of Economics and Programme Development, Dr Rafael Echevarne said the way forward for
African airports is to embrace the culture of excellence .
He urged managers of airports in Africa to create a sharp focus to enhance passenger experience , citing the model utilised by South Africa, which airlines about 10 years ago, have altered the strategy of competition to collaboration to develop their airports into string regional hubs.
He said: ”We look forward to the development of a hub in West Africa . This could be possible if the respective countries and operators of their airports put in place quality management system that considers security, and its impact on service excellence.
A performance appraisal system could be put in place that examines steps so far taken and how such steps have improved the system.
The questions airport operators in Africa should consider are how well airport services are delivered. Are there quality control measures?
Are there collaborations among internal stakeholders? In which areas, whether human or material resources ? In the a very competitive airport environment , the quality of service is key. There should not be over design of security network that could impede passengers facilitation.
Passenger satisfaction is the key ingredient to sell an airport. Any passengers who experiences a good terminal satisfaction would spend more money and would want to use that airport many times .
If we must develop airports for the future the questions that cone to mind are legion . Is there a wifi network? Are there flight trackers ? This is important because airlines have the tendency of not telling passengers the truth.”
He canvassed partnership with local players , such that there are key performance indicators at the airports that would drive service delivery.
He said one way of resolving the myriad of challenges confronting excellence in service delivery at airports is for government agencies and others to embrace collaboration.
He said: ” One way of doing this is to get government agencies and others to buy into the system. Smaller airports we insist should have higher quality services.”
In his presentation, former FAAN managing director, Mr George Uriesi, said if African airports should be used as drivers of economic development, operators and managers should realise that there is no alternative to the quality of services.
Uriesi queried why many African airports have not enrolled for the airports service quality programme offered by ACI.
He said: “Why are many African airports no ten rolling for the airports service quality programme. Are we designing our airport infrastructure to meet up with quality services.
We need to re- apply the success models.”
Also speaking at the conference, Ms Joanne Paternoster, president of Butterfly Consulting, said the importance of airports service excellence is becoming more felt in a dynamic and competitive business environment.
She said: ”The consequence of poor services at the airports is so costly that the operator would lose the opportunity to be called upon to manage other airport terminals..
A continuum of experiences are expected to be delivered safely, securely, efficiently, professionally, courteously, seamlessly in a quality manner.
The strategic and holistic approach is to stay ahead of competition for airports which must take the passenger experience to the next level.
Airports in Africa must build good brands , which are driven by reliable customer feedback system as well as a terminal by terminal plan . This could be achieved through standards and performance management “
Another expert, Mr Frederic Thenevin, director of airport development, ADPI, an airports design and consulting firm, urged operators to partner other players including airlines to enhance greater market share.
He said a look at the airport operations in Paris, indicates that it shares same experience with airports in Africa, which ought to pursue service delivery to ensure customer satisfaction.
He said :” Airports in Africa need market share, in an environment where competition is intensifying. Customer satisfaction therefore remains a key lever in winning marker share.
Operational performance with management through compliance and participation is key.
An airport should be utilised as a meeting point for different partners.
If common values must be shared, airport operators should set up service improvement committees to enhance growth, The whole concept must be seen as meeting passengers expectation.”
Speaking on service quality in smaller airports, Mr Michael Miller, head of content and industry relations in Routes, an airport consulting firm said the use of data is key in attracting airlines and other partners to the development of an airport service experience.
He said satisfying and meeting the needs of passengers and other airport users remains the key to unlock the potentials of service excellence in African airports.
He said: “Airport operators could use data and information to attract airlines and other partners to see the big picture . Satisfying and meeting the needs of people is very important. There should be no excuse for inefficiencies at the airports as a gateway. Getting the basics right, through the appropriate ambience and infrastructure remains key drivers. The airport is about people and their attitude towards travel. We must improve on safety management systems.
One key way to achieve service delivery at the airport is to ensure that there is reduction in turn around time at the terminal for passengers.”
Meanwhile,the President Airport Council International ( ACI), for Africa , Mr Pascal Komla has urged airport authorities in the continent to consider significant reduction in airport tariff describing excessive taxes paid by airlines and other airport users as a huge disincentive that could hamper the growth of air transport in the continent.
Komla apart from reduction in taxes , African governments must relax restrictive visa policies , which he said is fast affecting intra – African connections and the air transport sector growth, expected to contribute significantly to the growth of aviation in Africa.
He also called for improved funding for airport projects in Africa, which he said could turn around the fortunes of the continent , if managers and leaders in the sector embrace global partnership to bring it to fruition.
He said there is an avenue for sustainable air transport network in Africa owing largely to improved flight connectivity , which he said is a byproduct of the liberalisation of air transport in the continent otherwise known as Yamoussoukro Decision.
The decision was reached at continental confab on air transport among African leaders in 2000.
He said there were series of challenges confronting the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.
Komla said the adoption of the decision by Kenya and Ethiopia assisted the countries to create employment in the aviation sector.
He affirmed that studies conducted by experts reveal that the benefits of adopting a liberalised air transport sector in Africa fats outweighs any possible disadvantage.
He said: ”We are working hard on our sector to earn protectionism , which impairs economic growth and restriction on travelling.
We need to devote more resources on airport development , cut down high tariffs on airlines . This will increase air traffic in Africa and facilitates tourism. It will bring in investments and stimulate international trade.
We are taking measures to solve the problem of high taxes , the problem of visa restriction, which demotivated passenger movement.
Although, there have been so openness on visa policies , which is an improvement in some parts of Africa.
But, there are still restrictions. Some countries in eastern and west Africa have improved their visa processes, because many airports have their uniques features , in terms of geography, security and services.”
He further said: “Let us open our airports , because there are differences in geography, infrastructure and other operational elements.
How does an airport answer to these problems , which have to do with lack of infrastructure , security and the element of service.
Security is key to growth, and the way to achieve this is to have a well established safety system, which requires global efforts and administrative expertise.
There is no one approach to solving the problems of air transport in Africa , other than governments pursuing the implementation of liberalisation policies, that would help airports improve capacity .
