The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SAHCOL

  • SAHCOL seeks cooperation in ground handling services

    The Managing Director, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), Basil Agboarumi, has urged ground handling companies to ensure maximum cooperation in order to charge the right charges on services rendered to airlines.

    He said the ground handling companies cannot operate in isolation of the entire industry and called on the Federal Government to intervene in the charges paid by the airlines. He spoke at a forum tagged ‘A Night With Basil, organised by Aviation Media, in Lagos at the weekend.

    He also urged the government to grant the ground handling companies waivers on importation of equipment for operation, noting that if such regime could be granted the airlines, it was also pertinent for handlers to be given same privilege.

    He said: “This is the time I think we need cooperation in the industry. The ground handlers need to come together because we can’t be isolated from what is happening in the sector. what happens to an aspect of the industry, affects all since the general duty of us in our various segments of the industry is to see how passengers or goods can move from one point to the other.

    “I am one person that believes strongly that ground handling in Nigeria is under-priced and for us to continue to get the kind of ground handling that we require, especially now that things are getting harder for everyone in terms of procurement of equipment, industry must be ready to take the right step for the right of ground handling that we expected.

    “We have been talking to government and government has been so good to the airlines, but I think it’s high time the government looked at the side of the ground handling companies. We need waivers on procurement of equipment, just as the government has granted the airlines. Government should also look at how it can reduce our burdens.”

    Agboarumi further lauded the leadership of Aviation Media  for putting the event together for him, stressing that contribution of journalists to the development of the sector could not be over-emphasised.

  • SAHCOL manufactures ground support equipment

    Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL)  engineering team has built a  fuel bowser  at the firm’s  engineering and maintenance workshop in Lagos.

    The ground support equipment is used for loading aviation fuel into aircraft on airport tarmacs.

    SAHCOL’s spokesperson, Vanessa Uansohia, disclosed this at the weekend.

    She said SAHCOL was the first firm in the history of aviation ground handling in Nigeria to create such facility from locally sourced materials.

    The idea to create the equipment, she added, was conceived by the engineering team of SAHCOL to provide local content in equipment manufacture in the aviation and allied sector.

    Before the manufacture of the fuel bowser, the firm purchased it and other aviation handling and ground support equipment from companies in Europe and other western countries.

    She said with the locally produced fuel bowser, SAHCOL has overcome the problem of waiting incessantly for ground support equipment to be shipped to Nigeria and the challenges of clearance by authorities at the seaports.

    She said: ” The production of the equipment is aimed at leading to higher efficiency of safe and fast service delivery, which is what SAHCOL stands for.

    “The 3,000-litre  capacity equipment can be operated both manually and with battery.

    “The equipment, which is tow-able has all the features of an imported fuel bowser with modifications to fit the Nigerian terrain. The bowser is designed to be both rugged and comfortable for use by the handlers to dispense rapid fueling in a safe and spillage free manner.”

    The SAHCOL spokesperson said: ”Another reason is that the construction of this bowser has saved the company the cost of sourcing for foreign currency to purchase imported equipment.

    “As much as the tow fuel bowser is an equipment that is overlooked as not been as important as other heavy duty ground support equipment, it is of great significance for a hitch free refueling of ground support equipment  on the ramp.”

  • SAHCOL inspects Bayelsa airport for investments

    An aviation ground handling service provider, Skyway Aviation Handling Limited (SAHCOL),  yesterday inspected the Bayelsa Cargo International Airport to evaluate investment opportunities.

    Speaking at the airport in Amassoma, Sotuthern Ijaw, the company’s Director,  Dr. Olu Owolabi, hailed the facilities at the airport, and said SAHCOL would partner the government.

    He described the facility as marvellous, noting that the airport will generate income and create jobs for the people of Bayelsa state.

    “On behalf of SACHOL, our team is here to see what is going on, we should commend the Governor. This is what people will enjoy for the next 20, 30, 40 years and above. It is a massive set up.

    “ The governor will do his best but there is still more to do to implement his dream. It is a good dream and I’m very impressed. Don’t forget that we have the best warehouse in Africa.

    ”Everybody is gearing up now for export; food export, crops and every other thing. And I think he (Dickson) has started well.  For the Bayelsa people, you can imagine after the whole thing  has been completed, how many Bayelsans will be employed here”, he noted.

    He said he was in the state to check facilities and to locate where the cargo warehouse would be situated.

    He added: “ The cargo warehouse itself is a village on its own. Go to Dubai, London, all the places when you ask for cargo building it is a village of its own just like Lagos. It is a village of its own; and then you have the passenger terminal, you have the international terminal coming up. So, it’s a good dream.”

    Also speaking, Director-General, Bayelsa Investment and Promotion Agency Patience Ranami-Abah urged investors to take advantage of the airport facility.

    She said: “This airport holds tremendous opportunities. This is not just about cargo , there will be airplane hangars, maintenance, supply opportunities, logistics, retail and even hotel facilities around here.

    “ This encompasses 1,400 hectares which will comprise the airport, eco-industrial city and power hub. It will also boost the industrialisation of not just Bayelsa, but serve as a link between the entire South South and South East.

    “Goods will now be easily evacuated because of their sensitive nature in terms of perishability. And this is one of the reasons the SAHCOL team is here”, she said.

    Also, Managing Director of Bayelsa Airlines Henry Ungbuku promised that soon Internally Generated Revenue received from oil and gas will be dwarfed by returns from the airport investment.

    “ That is why we are bringing in the best company in terms of export. We are talking about a lot of money, not from passengers , but from cargo. This will make Bayelsa viable. We are ready,” he said.

     

     

  • Allied Air not taken over by SAHCOL

    The Skyway Aviation handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has not taken over the operations of Allied Air as contained in some reports last week.

    SAHCOL’s spokesperson Basil Agboarumi said the report was not correct.

    In statement at the weekend, Agboarumi said: “Some recent report with the headline:  “SAHCOL takes over Allied Air”, is not correct.

    “The true situation is that SAHCOL has won the Ground Handling Contract of the Allied Air flight operations in Nigeria.

    “By this contract, SAHCOL  shall now be providing ramp and cargo handling services to Allied Air Operations in Nigeria.

    “This further shows that SAHCOL has successfully established a very strong market presence in the domestic  and international  aviation industry with an unrivaled delivery of exceptional passenger, ramp and cargo/warehousing services. Which is evidenced by the number of airlines that have recently moved from the competitor to SAHCOL.”

  • SAHCOL takes over Allied Air

    The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has taken over the ground handling services of Allied Air and United Parcel Service (UPS).

    The spokesman of SAHCOL, Basil Agboarumi, disclosed this in a statement.

    According to him, with the take- over, the firm has added the two companies to its list  of clientele.

    Part of the take-over component, the statement added, include the relocation of Allied Air operations to SAHCOL, as its official Ground Handling partner to the airline’s Ramp and Cargo operations across Nigeria.

    Allied Air, which began: operation in 1998 as a Nigerian national flag Cargo Airline carrier, is designated on numerous routes across Africa under the Bi-lateral Services agreement and is the first IOSA certified Cargo Airline in Nigeria.

    In a related development,  United Parcel Services (UPS) has moved its cargo warehousing services to SAHCOL, consequently making it the hub of UPS consignment warehousing.

     

     

  • BPE urges emulation of SAHCOL

    BPE urges emulation of SAHCOL

    The progess recorded by Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), can be replicated in other companies, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex A. Okoh,  has said.

    Okoh, who spoke when he  undertook a post-privatisation monitoring tour of SAHCOL’s facilities, in Lagos, described SAHCOL’s per formance as one of the success stories of the privatisation programme.

    BPE’s Head, Public Communications, Chuckwuma Nwokoh, in statement yesterday, quoted the BPE’s helmsman as saying that the success recorded by SAHCOL, has justified its hand-over to the Sifax Group in December 2009, following its privatisation by the Federal Government.

    Speaking on the transaction method adopted in privatising SAHCOL, Okoh said the  full privatisation method was deleted in order to ensure that the company had ample opportunity to optimise quality of service delivery devoid of government’s interference.

    He said his observations during the facility tour, reflected the findings of post-privatisation monitoring reports by officials of the Bureau and an adherence to Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) by the core investor. He lauded the management of SAHCOL for efforts made to boost efficiency of service.

    The Managing Director of SAHCOL,  Rizwan Kadri, expressed appreciation for the Bureau’s unwavering support for the company since its privatisation. He pledged to keep up with the standards as well as continue collaboration with the BPE.

  • SAHCOL may lose N3.36b to Abuja Airport closure

    SAHCOL may lose N3.36b to Abuja Airport closure

    The closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) for the rehabilitation of its runway will cost  Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) a N3.36 billion loss in revenue, the Managing Director, Rizwan Kadri, has said.

    The SAHCOL boss said the firm generates about N80 million from  providing cargo, ramp, passenger handling and other services to domestic and foreign carriers in Abuja daily. He said during the airport’s six-week closure, the firm would  rejig its operations at other airports to mitigate the loss.

    He told The Nation that the closure would have effects on ground handling firms, airlines, car hire operators, catering suppliers and others who provide support services. The projected loss revenue loss, he said, would be a burden on the company, adding that mangement would approach the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) for assistance.

    He said the company would have to mobilise personnel and equipment to Kaduna Airport.

    Kadri said: “The government is taking the right step as the repair of the Abuja Airport is long overdue. However, they have gone about it in a wrong way. The stakeholders are going to lose a lot of revenue if airlines are not going to Abuja. The stakeholders are not taken into confidence. That is why the foreign airlines are not going to Kaduna Airport.

    “If we make N80 million daily from NAIA and that stops suddenly, it is going to affect us. We will need to move manpower and equipment to Kaduna. We will continue to pay them salary if they stay on in Abuja doing nothing for six weeks. We are still hanging in the balance; we are still waiting. We hope it lasts just six weeks.”

    Apart from ground handling companies, other concessionaires, including aviation fuel suppliers and airline catering suppliers, will also lose significant revenue during the six weeks repairs’ period because of the  scale of operations in the alternate aerodrome in Kaduna.

    Aviation agencies, including FAAN and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), will also lose significant revenue from passengers’ service charge, ticket sales charge and terminal charges.

    Investigations revealed that Abuja airport is Nigeria’s second busiest international airport, with about a half-million international passengers yearly.

    National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) President Bankole Bernard said the closure of the Abuja Airport would have ripple effects on business.

    He said many agencies lose the charge they collect to assist passengers procure tickets, organise transit flights and other support services.

    Last week, Lufthansa German Airlines, South African Airways and British Airways notified that they would not operate flights into Kaduna Airport.

    British Airways cited logistics for  its decision to shun Kaduna Airport, saying would restrict its Abuja frequency to Lagos .

    Country Commercial Manager for British Airways (Nigeria and West Africa), Kola Olayinka said the decision not to go to Kaduna as an alternative airport to Abuja, was because of lack of inflight catering services.

    He said it costs the carrier more money to operate into Kaduna, as it would need to bring along inbound and outbound meals/food which will prove a burden to the airline.

    Aside that, Olayinka listed other constraints to include lack of common user terminals and information and technology equipment that would support its operations, fear of baggage loss.

  • SAHCOL partners Air France/KLM

    Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has struck  a partnership  deal with  the cargo units of Air France/KLM.

    The partnership is part of efforts to promote cargo export in Nigeria.

    The collaboration  was disclosed last week at a  customers’ forum in Lagos.

    The deal will enhance the freight of locally made goods, especially tonnes of farm produce to Europe and America.

    Country Manager of Air France/ KLM cargo, Gabriel Lalande, described the  partnership with SAHCOL as   a huge boost for Nigeria’s drive for export as  part of efforts to diversify the economy.

    Lalande said  Nigeria had for too long experienced a huge gap in import and export of goods through the airports.

    He noted that with the slump in value of the naira and economic recession, the country is beginning to maximise its export potentials with attendant opportunity for efficient cargo services.

    Lalande said: “Nigeria has a lot of import and export capacities, but currently freighting at low capacity. Most people do the import business, but who wants to grow the export?

    “There are evidences that we all can grow export. Import in Nigeria for first half of 2016 is already minus 21 per cent because of high cost of foreign goods due to foreign exchange and less demands. It means we are losing money.”

  • SAHCOL chief lauds airline on expansion

    SAHCOL chief lauds airline on expansion

    Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) Managing Director Rizwan Kadri has commended Medview Airlines for its expansion on new destinations, assuring that the  ground handling firm will provide the required services to to ensure seamless flight operations.

    Kadri, whose appointment was confirmed last week,  led a team  on a courtesy call on the Managing Director of Medview Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, at his office in Ikeja.

    He said the firm has  cordial relationship with the airline in its provision of support services.

    As business partners, the firm, he said, would continue to give Medview Airlines the best of ground handling services to support its  on-time departures.

    The Managing Director of Medview Airlines, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said the airline would continue to pursue customer satisfaction  supported by SAHCOL’s services.

    Meanwhile, the board of the firm has confirmed the appointment of  Rizwan Kadri as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). It took effect last week.

    Kadri joined SAHCOL last December as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Januray, this year, he was promoted Acting Managing Director.

    It said the performance of Kadri since his appointment as helmsman  has impacted positively on the image of the company.

  • SAHCOL chief accuses NCAA of negligence

    SAHCOL chief accuses NCAA of negligence

    Managing Director of Skyways Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), Dr Olu Owolabi has accused the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of negligence in the performance of its regulatory oversight functions.

    Speaking in an interview in Lagos against the backdrop of unauthorised use of equipment to disembark passengers by Aero Airlines last week, he said such unsafe practices happened because the regulatory authority is not carrying out its oversight functions on airports and airlines effectively.

    Owolabi said the ugly development had become a wake-up call for the NCAA to insist that before any airport could be certified for any operations, either for passenger or cargo, requisite operational equipment that is serviceable and calibrated must be provided.

    He also slammed domestic carriers engaging in self-handling for ground and passengers operations of taking unsafe decisions that could jeopardise safe flight operations at airports nationwide.

    Owolabi said airlines that engage in such unsafe practices as a means to save costs are carrying out operations which are at variance with global internationally prescribed standards and practices.

    He said there is need for government and domestic carriers to interface with ground handling companies to come out with the minimum operational equipment that would be required for any airport or certain category of flights and aircraft type to fly into any airport.

    The SAHCOL chief insisted that before airports are built, ground handling operators should be engaged at the design and construction stage to ensure that global requirements in terms of ancillary support equipment for passenger and cargo handling are put in place.

    He said though it may be impossible for ground handling firms to be engaged at every airport by domestic carriers, the managers of such airport must ensure that ground handling facilities and equipment are procured to be professionally managed by certified players in the sector.

    Owolabi said: “It is very unprofessionally, if not barbaric, for any airline to disembark passengers using unauthorized equipment be it a ladder or whatever. Any airline that does such should be adequately sanctioned by the regulatory authority.

    “What this has exposed is the underbelly of safety and security at our airports. Why should any airline do self handling, because they do not want to patronize any of the ground handling companies? How much do they even pay for our services, which require us to buy expensive equipment?

    While insisting that it is the height of unprofessional practice, Owolabi said what this means is that NCAA should step up its oversight duties.

    He said some state governments that manage airports have engaged SAHCOL to assist in providing ground handling to keep in line with global practices. “Any state government that wants to build an airport must be mandated to ensure that minimum ground handling equipment are put in place,” he said.