The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA)

  • Aviation unions to shut down NCAA over obsolete organogram

    Aviation unions on Wednesday vowed to shut down the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria (NCAA) over what it called ‘obsolete’ organogram in the agency, which has prevented some promoted staff to be rightly placed.

    The unions also said that there was no going back in its plan to ensure unionisation of workers in the country’s airlines before the end of the year.

    Mr. Illitrus Ahmadu, the President, Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) stated this Wednesday at the Workers’ Day celebration organised by the unions at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

    Ahmadu stated that some staff of NCAA went through promotion exercise in the agency since 2017, but till date, none of them had been properly placed due to the ‘obsolete’ organogram in the agency.

    According to him, NCAA was still operating with the 2001 organogram, which it commenced with when the entire staff of the agency was just at 300, stressing that the management had refused to review it till date.

    He explained that as at date, 47 positions of Assistant General Managers (AGMs) had been extinguished, while directorates and departments had been merged.

    Ahmadu emphasised that the unions addressed the issue with the management of NCAA and a ministerial committee set up by Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of State for Aviation, only for the entire agreement to be upturned in Abuja by “some people in government.”

    He said: “As it is, there is lacuna in the organogram of NCAA the management brought forward an obsolete organogram. Between 2001 till date, the organogram has not been reviewed. At inception, NCAA had only 300 staff, but today, it has grown to 1,200 staff, yet, the organogram has remained unchanged.

    “Many people did exams and passed, but till date, they have not been placed. This one is unacceptable to us. If the situation continues, very soon, we will shut down NCAA and that we will do very well.”

    Also, Comrade Ben Nnabue, President, Nigerian Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) said that it would ensure unionisation among the nation’s airlines.

    Nnabue also said that it would also continue to resist the enslavement of its members in the catering sub-sector; Newrest ASL and Serve Air to ensure their total emancipation, while the cleaning services – Skycare and Lakewood would be added to the unions very shortly.

    Nnabue lamented that most of the indigenous airlines in the country had refused their workers from joining the unions, while the foreign airlines fully complied with the law on unionization.

    Read Also: Aviation unions plan showdown with helicopters firm

    He emphasized that any tactic deployed by the managements of the airlines would be resisted by the unions, stressing that the unions would continue to protect the interest of every worker in the sector.

    He said: “We shall continue to support our enslaved comrades in Newrest ASL and ServeAir to assure their total emancipation. Skycare and Lakewood will be added to the mix very shortly. In the same vain, our workers emancipation programme will bring on board Air Peace, Med-View, Azman, Dana and all airlines as well as all other aviation organisations yet to be unionized.

    “This will be achieved before the end of this year. Clearly this is no mean task. But, we all must rise up to this challenge. We have to do it because we must do it. We do it to posterity. No single worker in the aviation industry will be left unprotected under my watch.”

    Besides, on the issue of Conditions of Service for workers, NUATE described this as pathetic.

    He alleged that most of the agencies in the sector had their Conditions of Service “wickedly ensnared by the Salaries Commission and Office of the Head of Service.”

    Apart from the agencies, he also mentioned Pathfinders Limited as one of the many companies whose managements had remained uncooperative on new condition of service for workers.

  • Air Peace boss tasks cabin crew members on customer service

    Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema has urged cabin crew members to deepen their customer service and crisis management skills to forge a better relationship between airlines and their passengers.

    Onyema made the call at the 2nd Cabin Crew Fair 2018 organised by MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Annex, Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

    In a related development, the Air Peace boss and the carrier’s Cabin Services Manager, Florence Opia has been honoured with the Outstanding Aviation Personality of the Year and the Cabin Crew Excellence awards respectively.

    Delivering the keynote address at Cabin Crew Fair with the theme: “Raising the Bar of the Cabin Crew Profession,” Onyema commended Nigerian cabin crew members for acquitting themselves creditably in their primary roles of ensuring the safety, security and comfort of air travellers.

    He, however, urged Nigerian cabin crew members to do much more in delivering top-notch customer service throughout their flights and learn to de-escalate crises before they degenerate.

    Read Also: Air Peace resumes Kaduna flights

    The Air Peace chairman, who was represented by the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, said cabin crew members were a critical link between an airline and its passengers.

    Where cabin crew members failed to provide good customer service, he warned, an airline would be negatively impacted no matter the quality of its flight services.

    He urged Nigerian cabin crew members to be proud of their origin and project the beautiful cultures of their country in everything they do, including their communication style.

    Onyema confirmed that Air Peace had provided employment for almost 300 cabin crew members, pledging to continue to provide opportunities for Nigerians to exhibit their skills and make the nation proud in the global aviation industry.

    He commended the Chief Executive Officer of MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited, Joy Ogbebo for working tirelessly to promote Nigerian cabin crew members and deepen standards in the profession in the country. Onyema urged cabin crew members to emulate the fine standards represented by Ogbebo.

    Meanwhile, Onyema and Air Peace Cabin Services Manager, Florence Opia have received MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited’s Outstanding Aviation Personality of the Year and Cabin Crew Excellence awards respectively.

    Chief Executive Officer of MamaJ Aviation Consult Limited, Joy Ogbebo said Onyema was honoured for immensely supporting the “development of the cabin crew profession and provision of job opportunities to the highest number of cabin crew members in the industry.”

    Opia, she added, was recognised for her role in “management training monitoring, mentoring and motivation of cabin crew members to meet safety standards and deliver excellent service

  • Another 180 Nigerians return from Libya

    In continuation of the repatriation of Nigerians from Libya, another batch of 180 citizens of the country will on Thursday return from the troubled North African countries.

    This is as another batch of Nigerians are awaiting deportation from Germany Thursday next week.

    A source close to Aviation Security (AVSEC), a department under the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) told our correspondent on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos that the returnees would be assisted back to the country by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which has been responsible for repatriation of Nigerians from Libya in recent time.

    The returnees would also be received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the airport.

    Read Also: Sultan to Nigerians: choose your leaders wisely

    The returnees are Nigerians who had attempted to travel to Europe through the desert and Mediterranean Seas and other illegal channels, but were caught in the web of crisis that has engulfed Libya in recent time.

    The AVSEC source said that the deportees would return to the country through the Lagos Airport at 8pm through a chartered flight from Europe.

    Most of the deportees it was learnt are female while no fewer than three of them have medical issues.

    No fewer than 2,000 Nigerians have returned from Libya in the past one year through the Lagos Airport with many of them lamenting their sordid treatment in the North African country.

    Just recently, a batch of 171 Nigerians were returned from Libya for illegal migration.

    The returnees comprised 70 female adults including nine pregnant women, 90 male adults, three Children and eight infants while eight of them returned to the country with bad health related issues.

    The returnees had arrived the cargo wing of the Lagos Airport via Buraq Airline with the registration number 5A-DMG at about 8:25 p.m and flight number UZ589. NEMA said that the returnees were brought from Zintan District of Libya.

  • Air Force personnel stabs NDLEA official at Lagos Airport 

    Air Force personnel stabs NDLEA official at Lagos Airport 

    An official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was on Thursday stabbed by Nigeria Air Force (NAF) officer over attempt by the latter to force the former  to close before the 7pm deadline agreed by stakeholders at the Hajj and Cargo Terminal international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

    The Nation gathered that trouble started when the NAF officer was trying to enforce the 7:00pm close time agreed by stakeholders .

    The NAF officers did not wait for 7:00pm, but decided to chase out workers, including agents and NDLEA officials out of the area, a situation which the NDLEA official resisted.

    It was gathered that the NDLEA asked the NAF officer to wait till the agreed time before asking him out of the area.

    The narcotic officer reminded the NAF officer that as a government security agency personnel, he should not harass him the way clearing agents are harassed.

    A source told The Nation that the resistance, further infuriated the NAF officer, who questioned the audacity of the NDLEA officer to challenge him.

    The source added that it was at that point, the NAF officer slapped the NDLEA officer.

    In no time, NDLEA officer, in turn retaliated occasioning exchange of punches, where the narcotic officer had the upper hand.

    Another eyewitness noted that as these government personnel were exchanging punches, another NAF officer joined in the fray to stab the narcotic officer.

    The NDLEA officer, the source said fell , bleeding profusely while  others engaged in a free for all.

    The source explained that as bystanders started shouting that  the NDLEA officer might  die if not given medical attention, he was consequently taken to hospital.

    Contacted, the spokesman for NDLEA, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju confirmed the incident, but added that it was a minor disagreement.

    He also added that the issue has been resolved.

  • Nigeria’s airports record 2.3% increase in domestic passengers – NBS

    The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that Nigeria’s airports recorded an increase of 2.3 per cent in domestic passengers in 2015 and 2016.

    The NBS made this figure known in its Fourth Quarter 2016 and Full Year 2016 Air Transportation Data released in Abuja.

    The report, however, stated that the first and second halves of the year differed substantially.

    It stated that it differed substantially whereas year-on-year growth in domestic passenger, numbers of 9.7 per cent and 10.3 per cent were recorded in the first two quarters respectively.

    “Declines of 1.3 per cent and 8.2 per cent were recorded in the third and fourth quarters respectively.

    “The declines were due to their size, most of this decline was accounted for by Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, and in both quarters, Abuja accounted for the largest fall.

    “Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos remained the busiest domestic airport in the third and final quarters of 2016.

    “This airport accounted for 891,770 passengers in the third quarter and 909,851 passengers in the final quarter, which represented 33.3 per cent and 34.5 per cent respectively.’’

    According to the report, the share of domestic passengers accounted for by MMA remained broadly stable throughout 2016.

    “It remained stable in the year with the highest share recorded in the first quarter of 34.6 per cent, and the lowest recorded in the third quarter.

    “As with the overall number of domestic passengers, the number to travel though MMA declined relative to the corresponding values in 2015.

    “In the third quarter, MMA airport recorded a year-on-year decline of 7.3 per cent, compared to an overall decline in domestic passenger numbers of 1.3 per cent (when comparing same set of airports.

    “In the fourth, this fell slightly to a decline of 7.5 per cent, although this was a smaller contraction than in the overall fall of 8.2per cent.’’

    Similarly, it stated that the share of passengers accounted for by Abuja Airport, the second busiest airport in 2016, remained between 30 per cent and 31 per cent in each quarter of 2016.

    According to the report, the third and fourth quarters, there were 822,702 and 810,410 domestic passengers to travel through Abuja respectively.

    “In each quarter this was equivalent to 30.7 per cent of the total number, which is higher than the shares in the first and second quarter of 30.4 per cent and 30.2 per cent.

    “Abuja was the airport to record the largest year on year reduction in domestic passengers in absolute terms in each of the third and fourth quarters.’’

    In the third quarter of 2016, the report stated noted that there were 81,270 less domestic passengers to travel through than in the same quarter of 2015, a reduction of 9.0 per cent.

    It stated that in the fourth quarter, the year on year drop fell to 110,005, equivalent to a 12.0 per cent fall.

    “The third busiest domestic airport in 2016 was Port Harcourt, although the number of passengers fell throughout the year.

    Meanwhile, under the domestic aircraft movement, the report stated the shares of domestic flights accounted for by each airport were similar to the shares of passengers accounted for by each airport, as would be expected.

    However, it stated that aircraft departing from and flying to larger airports carried more people. Therefore, the share of aircraft accounted for airports such as Lagos and Abuja was smaller than their share of passengers.

    “During 2016, Lagos airport accounted for 34.2 per cent of domestic passengers, but only 27.5 per cent of domestic aircraft.

    “This is due to the average number of passengers on aircraft to and from Lagos being 61.1 per cent, more than 10 passengers higher than average.

    “Similarly, Abuja accounted for 30.5 per cent of passengers, accounting for 24.4 per cent of aircraft.’’

    In the third quarter of 2016, the report stated that Lagos recorded a fall in the number of aircraft.

    “It recorded a fall in aircraft relative to the second quarter, of 13.8 per cent, to reach 14,097, before rebounding in the final quarter, growing by 9.9 per cent to reach 15,491.

    Consequently, the report stated that its share fell to 26.5 per cent in the third quarter from 27.8 per cent in the second, before rebounding to 28.4 per cent in the final quarter.

    “Abuja also recorded a decline in domestic aircraft movement in the third quarter; 12,593 aircraft moved through Abuja’s domestic airport compared to 13,682 in the second quarter, a drop of 9.2 per cent.

    “However, growth in the amount of domestic aircraft movement in the final quarter was smaller than for Lagos, at 1.4 per cent, resulting in 12,764 domestic aircraft to leave and arrive in Abuja in the final quarter,’’ the report  stated.