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By Chinelo Obogo, [email protected]
The year 2023 could be aptly termed a traumatizing one for aviation stakeholders. All the promises by the federal government ended up unfulfilled and the sector groaned as it did in previous years.
However, as 2024 begins, players are not losing hope. They are optimistic that things will get better.
Daily Sun spoke to industry stakeholders; the Head of Research and Corporate Travel at Zenith Travels, Olumide Ohunayo, president, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Abednego Galadima, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd) and Amos Akpan on their expectations for the sector.
Excellent maintenance of existing infrastructure -Akpan
“The first thing I expect from the ministry, its departments and agencies is to maintain every infrastructure and facility within the industry to function at installed capacity. Make them working and reliable. These include amongst others: Landing aids and systems, runways, ramp/parking bay, fuel hydrants, water hydrants, functional fire trucks, airside lightings, functional air conditioners at the terminal halls, functional conveyor belts, electronic check-in counters and installed screening machines must be functional, real time surveillance and monitor of all events within the airport by electronic cameras.
“Let’s get what we have working well to serve us. For example, aircraft on ground gets fixed faster when the airlines can collect parts from arriving international flight direct to go fix the snags and process customs documentation later. Our handling agents and the customs must understand how this works. We are not making optimal use of the infrastructures and facilities we have now because they are not repaired to functional status, some are not upgraded to match latest trends, most are abandoned even as we have need for them.
“Nigerian college of Aviation technology (NCAT) should be working with the companies that offer services in the aviation industry: the Airlines, and the MDAs to ascertain their training needs. There is urgent need to fill existing gap in the manpower needs of the industry. NCAT should tailor their curriculum to the training needs of our aviation institutions, while the institutions should be encouraged to train with NCAT. To decentralise training, I suggest NCAT should give patent to approved training organisations in the regions so they can supervise compliance with curriculum, while NCAA remains the certifying body for all ATOs.
“Stop lumping commercially unviable private/state airports on FAAN. Let each airport work with a business model that suits its location and design. Get a business proposal that attracts airlines, ancillary services and ultimately investors. Change the mantra in FAAN from landlord to provider of services to customers. All users of the airports are customers and FAAN should do their utmost to give them desired services with courtesy. Design services and products with the end user in your mind, make what you offer appreciated so users will be pleased as they pay for it. FAAN must improve on information and directions to airport users.
“The NCAA should be able to let us know how many airports they have certified in Nigeria and what clearly is defined as an NCAA certified airport. Indeed we would like to know the classification/status of each airport in Nigeria – at least point us to where we will find such authoritative documents. The roadmaps and the five point agendas are good to guide the government in power. But there are gaps on our ability to do business with what we have on ground now. We need clean and well organised airports with all facilities functioning at installed capacity. For example the car ports and the operators in most airports are rowdy with touts.
“There is need to consider independent power for the airports which they can use and sell to their surrounding environment. This a critical success factor for the state owned airports. Most of them close by 6pm because of cost of night operations. There are Nigerians with access to funds and sufficient skills to manage these airports. A Nigerian invested in London Gatwick airport and turned it around to a more profitable and user friendly airport. He is from Ogun State. A Nigerian built and he is operating MM2 airport, Ikeja. If we get accurate and accessible statistics, investors will use it to plan investments in our airports. Determining where to build a hub requires data. We must have a hub to remain competitive in the industry. This 2024, I look forward to Air Peace flying into both Heathrow and Gatwick. I look forward to Ibom Air bringing passengers into Lagos and Abuja from major cities in West Africa to join flights to other parts of the world.”
More jobs should be created for pilots, engineers –Galadima
“In the aviation industry, we always place premium on safety and security. I pray the year 2024 will bring about a safer and more secure operating environment. I expect a situation where the newly appointed chief executives of the agencies to work in harmonious relationship with the unions instead of this old fashioned adversarial relationship with the unions. I expect a paradigm shift where we relate more in terms of collaboration which will yield more dividends.
“I expect more job opportunities for our pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers and hope that there would be an appreciable level of growth where those who are unemployed will find space and get employed. We want a situation where we have more robust airlines that will provide affordable services. We also want constant engagement between the minister of aviation and stakeholders at all times where his vision for the industry would be well articulated. We also need improved technical training for the technical personnel.”
Domestic airlines should be supported better –Ojikutu
“The government should restrict the foreign airlines flight to Lagos or Abuja. The aim is to restrict the foreign airlines from the domestic market routes and create reasons for the foreign airlines to interlining with the domestic airlines. Secondly, grade the federal airports into five; A, B, C, D, E and their airports services charges as 100%, 75%, 50%, 25% and 10% respectively. The aim is for the airlines to go to airports that fit into their financial capacity.
“Airlines should limit fleet capacity to the available passengers on their choice of routes. Airlines must be enforced to choose their operational base which must be approved by the NCAA and FAAN depending on the airport’s capacity. Revive the unused or disruptive fuel pipelines to stop the bridging of fuel supply to major airports with fuel tankers. Aside from the added costs on fuel costs, the bridging with tankers is an added serious safety and security implications on the flights operations. All these fall on the NCAA regulations and not a job for the Minister nor the Ministry of Aviation.
“The problem of Bi-courtney and FAAN is one between two interest ground similar to the one between those for and against the national carrier. We should go back to the provisions of the Act on concessions, commercialisation and privatisation of 2000. It was that Act that brought about the MM2 that was built from ground zero. How many of such airport passengers terminal has been so built? The Act has been abandoned and every political official in the successive administration of our government want the apple pie of the airports’ management and their earnings. The present administration should end the uproar between FAAN and Bi-courtney and proceed with the suspension of the concessions, commercialisation and privatisation of the federal airports which is taking too much from the FG’s expected revenue earnings.
“The administration should concession all the non-aeronautical services which includes the Passengers and Cargo Terminal Buildings, lands for Offices and Hangers, Carparks and tollgates, etc. The administration should face squarely its obligations to the ICAO which basically is the industry regulations oversight and enforcement of aeronautical services through the NCAA. It must ensure the autonomy of the NCAA in these functions without any interruption for any political office holders. Anything short of these take us back to days before our classification as Category one by the US FAA.
“There is nothing delaying MM2 to be cleared for regional operations that was approved for the passengers’ terminal by Obasanjo and that was what the NCAA then certified it for at the audit conducted for the terminal before it was opened for operation. Remember that Virgin Nigeria and Arik were programmed to operate from the terminal and remember too how the two disregarded the directive and how it caused the death of Virgin Nigeria. If the growth of Nigeria’s aviation will be dependent on the political office holders in the industry, we cannot grow just as we have not since 1993.”
FG should cut down on over-bloated agencies –Ohunayo
“I speak with a lot of trepidation in the sense that while I commended the appointment of the agency heads including that of the Director General of the NCAA, I have fears that we are returning to the problem of the past with the directorship, having 46 directors which have even gone above what Hadi Sirika did. Having new directors of special duties and the mode of the appointment of some of the directors gives a lot of fear on what would happen to the efficient running of the agencies. This has made me not to come out and say that I see a bright future except the private sector led initiative are able to lead the charge.
“I am not too happy with the appointment of the directors with the expansion and how it would affect the finances of the agencies. It does not stop there, they have also followed the same pattern and brought it down the General Managers and bringing young people in to come and take the positions of GM of other agencies.
How do you solve the multiple problems that you are expected to resolve when you’re adding more to it? That gives me a lot of fear. We have toed the same pattern of the immediate past minister from and we are even trying to beat it with some of the actions that I have seen.
“There must be a halt and a reversal of some of the decisions, so that we would see how the year can be. Some of the directors brought in their own aides that would be on the salary of the agencies, coupled with them asking for official cars. Why are we doing this to ourselves when were are supposed to be bring down costs. Directors are not allowed to bring details from outside only if funding is from their pockets.”
