To some stakeholders, the revised National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), which includes a clause barring private jet owners from carrying persons other than their relatives, must be reviewed, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU
It was a busy week for officials of the Ministry of Aviation and its agencies. Chief Executive Officers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and others took turns to explain the revised National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP). They met with airline operators, private jet owners and others in the industry. They also had a date with the media to explain the new policy, which they insist is for the best of the industry. They said it would ensure safety and security.
The first NCAP was introduced in 1989 and it led to the establishment of the NCAA and FAAN. It was reviewed in 2001.
Minister of Aviation Ms Stella Oduah said the need for the review was strengthened by the ministry’s role in the country’s economic growth, changes in safety, security and technology not envisaged when the 2001 policy was introduced.
Ms Oduah, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Aviation Reforms, Ms Anne Ene-Ita, at a media briefing in Lagos last Wednesday, said: “It is my considered opinion that since the Aviation Ministry is recognised as an integral part of the socio-economic system of the country and plays a critical role in national economic development, its policies must be tailored to address the contemporary socio-economic development programme of government.
“To this end and in line with the expectations of the Transformation Agenda, the Federal Ministry of Aviation in 2012 evolved a new vision and mission through the development of a master plan, which is targeted at the provision of safe, secure, comfortable and self-sustaining air transport industry that is pivotal to the socio-economic development of Nigeria. This process involved collaboration with the World Bank that carried out detailed diagnostic review of the sector, consultations with stakeholders, assessment of existing institutional, legal and regulatory framework for aviation sector agencies.”
At a parley with aviation stakeholders, Ms Ene-Ita said the policy was aimed at strengthening the existing regulatory framework and facilitate the growth of domestic airlines.
She said the policy would improve performance and encourage new routes in addition to ensuring that the airports are better integrated into a wider transport network.
The Director, Commercial Business Development of the FAAN, Dr Adeniyi Balogun, said the policy would lead to automation of activities at the airports. This, he said, was part of efforts to track vehicles and ensure adequate security for all passengers.
Of all the provisions of the policy, one stands out like a sore thumb: the operation of private jets in the country. There are no fewer than 150 private jets. Nigerian billionaires own jets from the Gulfstream, Bombardier Global Express, Hawker Legacy and Dassault Falcon, among many others.
Many of the owners have been known to give out the jets to their friends when the need arises or travel with them and other associates on some occasions. But this may stop if a provision in the new policy is not jettisoned.
The provision reads: “For private aircraft owned or leased by individuals, only the family members of the owner/lessee of the aircraft will be permitted on board as passengers.”
Ms Oduah said the provision is “to streamline the operations of non-scheduled flights to conform with International Standards and Recommended Practices (ICAO SARPs) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations”.
The ministry also accuses some ownners of jets of using them for illegal activities. (See box)
There is also another provision, which may work against companies in the practice of chartering planes or helicopters for their operations and sometimes have cause to use them to carry visitors to their companies. Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta are fond of doing this.
But that may stop, with this provision, which reads: “For private aircraft owned or leased by companies or corporate entities, only the employees and members of the board of directors of the company will be permitted on board as passengers.
“For aircraft belonging to non-scheduled or scheduled operators, only the employees and members of the board of directors of the company or the corporation may be permitted on board as passengers; all operators will declare the identities of all passengers on non-revenue charter flights in the appropriate general declaration forms prior to obtaining Air Traffic Control (ATC) clearance.”
Last Tuesday, owners and operators of foreign and Nigeria registered business aircraft, at an interactive session with representatives of the ministry in Abuja, accused the ministry of launching the NCAP 2013 without inputs from the private sector.
Last Monday, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) condemned the policy, which it said lent credence to allegations that President Goodluck Jonathan had dictatorial and despotic tendencies.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Secretary-General, Captain Mohammed Joji, described the policy as inferior to the one designed by the military.
Joji said the global trend was to reduce functions of aviation ministries, noting that the policy had enlarged the responsibilities of the Ministry of Aviation.
He said creating general aviation under the mandate of the NCAA was wrong.
The President/Chief Executive Officer, TopBrass Aviation, Mr. Roland Iyayi, called for a review of the policy, with the input of stakeholders.
Iyayi said: “From the look of things, it shows that stakeholders were not duly consulted before this policy was introduced. We should not introduce policies that will kill the industry, but one that will grow the aviation business.
“There have been a lot of complaints against this policy since it was introduced, and I don’t want to believe that there are no good advisers to the aviation minister. I think it is better to review what is contained in this document and get the input of stakeholders, otherwise the debate against most of the sections of this policy will persist.”
Chairman, Private Flyers Nigeria Bala Na’allah said the policy would undermine the existing Civil Aviation Act, adding that “Section 33 of the Act does not require an owner of private jet to look for a permit from anywhere as stated in the policy.”
Na’allah said: “Since we are having some sections of the policy that are not in agreement with certain parts of the regulation in terms of putting up a defence, which one supersedes the other? I suggest that the ministry allows us to study the policy, and where necessary, have it reviewed if we must grow this industry.”
The Deputy Controller-General, Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in charge of Tariff and Trade Matters, Mr. Julius Nwagwu, said the NCAP 2013 infringed on Customs duties.
Nwagwu said: “There are those who were meant to drop passengers and fly back, but are still found within the airport premises for long periods. This is against the Customs laws.’’
He raised the issue of private jets coming into the country without documentation, which he said “is fully against customs laws’’.
“We need to highlight these issues in the policy before it is released. This has become imperative so that operators will be guided,” he said.
There is hope that some changes will still be made to the policy, as Ms Ene-Ita and some other officials of the ministry have said the loopholes in the policy would be plugged before the president’s approval.
Besides the contentious provisions, the NCAP 2013 has some provisions with the potential of turning around the industry. One of such is the development of aerotropolis, where cities would be built around airports, such that hotels and conference halls are built around the airports to cater for accommodation and business meetings. A medical cluster is also being planned around the airports to tap into the medical tourism market. Foreign pharmaceutical companies are also being wooed to establish locally around the airports. With this, airports would no longer be terminal points only but places where economic activities would thrive.
FAAN Managing Director George Uriesi, in a presentation at last Wednesday’s parley with the media, said the aerotropolis would turn around the aviation sector. He said the aerotropolis were being planned around the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
President Goodluck Jonathan, in a brochure on the project, said the aerotropolis would be private sector driven.
Ms Oduah said the development of the aerotropolis would begin this year.
An integral part of the Aerotropolis Nigeria is the Perishable Cargo, which Dr. Ndidi Edozien said has the potential to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Six of the country’s airports will be equipped with facilities to preserve perishable cargoes. They have been designated as terminals for perishable and non-perishable goods.
Dr. Edozien said the project would involve the provision of agro-processing facilities, agro-export conditioning centres, storage infrastructure and cargo warehousing at designated airports.
Ms Oduah believes that when the transformation of the airports is completed, the sector’s contribution to the GDP, which stands at 0.6 per cent, will be improved.
She said: “It is expected that these measures would in the medium and long term improve performance, resilience and the passenger experience, which according to the 2010 Oxford Economic calculation places the value of passengers using the Nigerian aviation services at N785 billion per annum and the contribution of N198 billion made by the aviation sector to the economy, which represents 0.6 per cent of the GDP.
“This development now ranks Nigeria after China and Japan in terms of passenger volume and is expected to keep growing at a rate of 9-10 per cent annually reaching the level of 15 to 20 million passengers by 2020.”
