NAHCO Appoint Arc Bello Chairman, Olubanwo As Director

…Notifies Stock Exchange

Arc Usman Arabi Bello

A new Chairman has been appointed by the Board of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance).  He is Arc Usman Arabi Bello. Bello effectively takes over from the Vice Chairman, Dennis Hasdenteufel, who had been acting in that position since October last year.

In a statement by the Company, Arc Bello emerged Chairman of the foremost Aviation handling Company after a meeting of the board which held on January 12, 2016.

The statement pointed out that the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) had been duly notified of the appointment as required by listing rules.

Before his appointment, Bello was the Chairman of NAHCO Free Trade Zone (NFZ).

A widely-travelled property expert, Bello is also an administrator of repute. His directional managerial responsibilities cover the consultancy consortium Ericon Bello & Associates and its subsidiary, Arabi Bello & Associates, where he is principal partner.

He sits on the boards of quite a number of companies including HNB Security and Protection Company Limited as Chairman; Bello Group of Companies and Zycom Surveillance Inc.

Architect Bello’s professional career in Architecture and other related fields has been purposeful and productive. A long standing member of the Nigeria Institute of Architects and Architects Registration Council of Nigeria, Bello has brought his own signature approach to the design and execution of buildings to enrich the built environment. His works are legion in parts of Nigeria notably Kaduna, Yola, Lagos and Abuja.

Bello is widely expected to give focused guidance to the executive management of the NAHCO.

His appointment followed the resignation of the former Chairman, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, in October last year on health grounds.

Also appointed to the board of the Company as a non-executive Director is Mr. Femi Olubanwo.

 

Femi Olubanwo

Olubanwo holds a law degree from the University of Lagos after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School. His Core Practice Areas are in Intellectual Property, Company and Commercial Law, Investment and Divestment Transactions, Banking and Corporate Finance.

He is a member of various law and business related professional bodies including: Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Maritime Law Association, World Trade Centre of Nigeria and International Trademark Association. He is also a member of the Solid Minerals Sector Steering Committee of BPE, member, Presidential Technical Committee on Development of Coal and Chairman, Committee to Create Code of Governance/Ethics for Capital Markets Regulators.

Olubanwo founded and practiced as Femi Banwo & Co, Associate, Chris O. Okunowo & Co and established Banwo & Ighodalo, in partnership. He is on the Board of many companies, covering communications, education and commerce.

Madagascar Joins Ethiopian Airlines' Intra-African Network

Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, is pleased to announce that it will add Antananarivo, Madagascar to its network as of 28 March 2017. Madagascar will join the ever expanding Ethiopian network of 95 worldwide destinations.

Antananarivo is the capital and the largest city of Madagascar. The island nation is known as a “biodiversity hot-spot” as over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on earth.  Madagascar is home to lush rainforests and is famous for its curious lemurs.

Ethiopian’s new nonstop flight will operate three times weekly to and from Ethiopian’s hub at Addis Ababa, where passengers can connect to and from cities throughout the world, including Washington, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome, Beirut, Jeddah, Cairo, Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.

Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, said: “Ethiopian, as a flagship carrier of Africa, is pleased to add Madagascar to its wide route network. Having started serving Africa seven decades ago with our motto “Bringing Africa Closer”, we are now continually enhancing our services and working to “Connect Africa to the World”. As air connectivity is an essential cause and driver of a nation’s socio-economic integration, our new service will certainly contribute for a growing business and bilateral cooperation with other sisterly African cities. Moreover, travelers from Madagascar will be seamlessly connected with Ethiopian ever-expanding network across five continents. I would like to thank all who made this route possible.”

Ethiopian is a truly indigenous Pan-African global carrier that operates the youngest and the most modern fleet in the continent with an average aircraft age of less than 5 years. 

Embraer Signs Order With Widerøe Up To 15 E2 Aircraft

Embraer has signed a contract with Widerøe, the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, for up to 15 E2 family jets. The contract consists of three firm orders for the E190-E2 and purchase rights for 12 further E2 family aircraft. This flexible mix of purchase rights for E175-E2, E190-E2, and E195-E2 will give Widerøe the ability to grow their fleet with a family of aircraft from 80 to 130+ seats, to right size capacity to meet market requirements.

The order has a potential list price value of up to US$873million, if all orders are converted. The three firm orders for E190-E2s were included in Embraer’s fourth quarter 2016 backlog.   

“It’s always an important moment for Embraer when we add a new airline to our family of operators. It’s even better to be part of a step change in that customer’s operations - our next generation E190-E2s will also be the first jets in Widerøe’s fleet. The opportunities for both Embraer and Widerøe as the airline seeks to expand and move beyond only turboprop operations, present an exciting future. A great way to start 2017”, said Arjan Meijer, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

Widerøe will configure the E190-E2s in a comfortable single-class layout with 114 seats. Deliveries are scheduled for 2018. This deal brings the E-Jets E2 backlog to 275 firm orders plus Letters of Intent, options and purchase rights covering another 415 aircraft giving a total of 690 commitments from airlines and leasing companies.

Stein Nilsen, Chief Executive Officer of Widerøe, said, "Our decision to choose the Embraer family of next generation E2 aircraft for our move into jet operations is based on the need for a high quality passenger experience, ease and flexibility of operations, and lowest through life costs. The result of our evaluation determined the E2 family of aircraft, coupled with Embraer's world class customer support, as the best solution for our airline. We're excited at the prospect of being among the first operators of Embraer's next generation of aircraft, which feature significant environmental improvements in both noise and fuel efficiency while still improving performance. The flexibility offered by Embraer's family of same type rated E2 aircraft will enable us to build a right sized fleet, as a supplement to our existing fleet, in accordance with market requirements."

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 130+ seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and the E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,700 orders and over 1,300 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating across a range of business applications.

Sirika Harps On Concession, As He Receives Singaporean Trade Delegation

Sen. Hadi Sirika

Minister of State for Aviation Hadi Sirika has said the quest to concession the maintenance of airport infrastructure and the

building of new ones across the country is to maintain high standard and efficiency in the running of airport operations in tandem with global standards.

The minister who disclosed this when he received a delegation from the International Enterprise Singapore led by its Director, Middle East and Africa Group, Ian Lee, said government is strongly committed to providing an enabling environment for investors to thrive in the aviation sector with rules and regulations to make the industry economically attractive.

He added that the government has also made concerted efforts on the improvement of security in the country with the virtual defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents that had terrorized the nation in the immediate past, and also confirmed that the procurement processes for the Concession and the National Carrier had reached advanced stages as government would soon appoint Transaction Advisers.

While reiterating the position of Nigeria in the African sub region, especially in the aviation sector and considering its size and geographical location as it concerns investments, he added that these factors guarantee more than adequate returns on investments overtime.

He expressed delight at the interest shown by International Enterprise Singapore and other Singaporean firms in Nigeria’s aviation industry and assured them of the federal government’s openness and preparedness to work with all serious minded and sincere investors who have the know-how to contribute to the nation’s development.

Sirika also used the visit to explain the rationale behind the decision to temporarily shut down operations at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja for repair works on the airport runway, saying it was purely based on safety considerations He also explained that while the whole renovation work would last for six months, the six-week closure would enable the restoration of the runway to a usable state.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Director of the Middle East and Africa Group of International Enterprise Singapore, Ian Lee said they were in the country to establish their interest in building business relationships with Nigeria and Nigerian companies, especially in the Aviation Sector where they have identified the on-going Airport Infrastructure Concession and the proposed National Carrier as areas of high interest.

He told the Minister that the main purpose of IE Singapore is to drive Singapore's external economy, by growing Globally Competitive Companies and promoting international trade to ensure Singapore's growth in a globalized world.

He further disclosed that with 39 offices in over 20 countries, in addition to being based in Singapore, IE Singapore offers services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas markets and to enter new markets, through its Global Company Partnership and Market Readiness Assistance frameworks.

According to him, Nigeria represents the future of the African continent going by its political and economic stature which has placed it in the leadership position it now occupies. This, he said has made the country highly attractive to prospective investors, especially from Singapore and expressed his country’s desire to forge a better and mutually beneficial economic relationship with Nigeria.

Olateru Commends Abali As He takes Over AIB

L-R: Outgone CEO/Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB), Dr. Felix Abali  and New Chief Executive Officer/Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB), Engr. Akin Olateru during the handing over ceremony yesterday at Air Safety House, Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos

The new Commissioner of Nigeria’s  Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, Engr. Akin Olateru has taken over the management of the agency from Dr. Felix Abali who is the immediate past helmsman.

Olateru commended  Dr. Felix Abali for improving the parastatal from where he met it and keeping it together over the years despite the “missiles”.

Olateru  at the handing-over ceremony at the agency’s headquarters at Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA has said that his vision at the agency is to make it the biggest in the nation’s aviation industry.

This is as he appealed to management and the entire staff to cooperate with him in order to propel the agency forward.

He promised to make training a priority for all staff, stressing that through this, their technical know-how would improve.

He said: “I thank you for keeping this place together despite the missiles. I have heard a lot about AIB. I know it is the smallest in the ministry, but, before the end of my tenure, I will ensure that the agency becomes the biggest of all. That’s my mission.

“However, for that to happen, I will require the maximum cooperation of all staff. I can’t do it alone, but we are here to make it happen. It is for the benefit of all staff of AIB if we can make this organisation to work. It’s not about size sometimes, but about efficiency and effectiveness.

“This is a new dawn and I am begging everyone to give this new administration a chance. Whatever that has happened in the past, let it be in the past. Aviation is highly technical, very expensive and the most regulated in the world. At the end of the day, we are all going to be happy because everyone will go on training and more opportunities would be given to people.”

Earlier, Abali commended the entire staff for their support towards him as the Commissioner of the agency and called on them to support the new administration.

Abali, however, appealed to some of the disgruntled elements in the system to sheath their sword for the growth of the organisation.

“I thank the management and staff for their supports for me through thick and thin. And for those who were bent on destroying the agency, I don’t know what else to tell them to change their minds. I’ve spoken with them, but all to no avail,” he said.

Nigeria Airlines Association Gets Exco

…Lauds Minister on Appointment of Aviation Chiefs

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) now has a new Executive Council in place to pilot the activities of the association for the next two years.

Sir Nogie Meggison, the Chief Executive Officer of Jedidiah Air Limited (JedAir) returned as Chairman for a second term in office having served the association in this capacity on an initial first term. Alhaji Abdulmunaf Yunusa Sarina, Chairman of Azman Airlines was unanimously elected as Vice Chairman, while Capt. Chimara Imediegwu, Director of Flight Operations with First Nation Airways was returned as the Financial Controller of the Association.

The new Exco will be expected to forge greater and robust advocacy for and on behalf of the association, continuously engage government constructively on critical operational and industry issues as well as drive unity and oneness among member airlines in an effort to promote their individual and collective interests.

While delivering his report of stewardship, Sir Nogie Meggison said: “In the last few years, AON has made rapid progress by speaking with one voice. Our Strength is in our number and staying together, as we have grown to be a strong force that we should be in the aviation sector. I would therefore like to appreciate you all for giving me the mandate to lead in the last three years and I thank you all for the support you have given to me during this time.”

Under the erstwhile and current Chairman’s first term in office, AON was able to make a number of milestone and unprecedented achievements. These include successfully engaging government and getting the implementation of zero duty on aircraft and spare parts, securing forex allocation and getting aviation on the priority list, a functional Secretariat and Board Room, better and more cordial engagement with the Minister of State on Aviation on quarterly basis, a functional website as well as more respect and interaction with Labour Unions among others.

In another development, the Chairman of AON thanked the Federal Government and the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, for appointing two of its members to serve as Chief Executive Officers of two very important parastatals. They include Capt. Fola Akinkuotu for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and Mr. Akin Olateru as Commissioner of the Accident Investigation Bureau. Sir Meggison noted that their appointment was quite encouraging and a display of government’s confidence in the ability and experience of these fine gentlemen to take the agencies to greater heights,

“I would like to also use this opportunity to congratulate two of our members that were recently appointed by the Federal Government to head two of the aviation parastatals. We congratulate them and wish them the very best,” he remarked.

Offering his acceptance speech to members, after emerging as Chairman for a second term; Sir Meggison said: “It has been a privilege serving AON and I am very grateful for your support. I would like to use this opportunity to thank all the airlines that have been very active in facilitating our work at the Secretariat. May God Almighty continue to reward you all for your sacrifice.

More Stakeholders Encourage Abuja Airport Closure

Yakubu Dati

 More aviation enthusiasts have given their voices to the temporary closure of the runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for repair. One of them is the former General Manager, Corporate Communication of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati.

Despite the rejection of the planned closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for major rehabilitation of the runway, industry experts have insisted that to avert major accident and ensure safety the airport must be closed for thorough and comprehensive work to be done at the facility.

Dati said that all over the world airports with single runway are closed when such major work is to be done on the runway, noting that if the initial plan were allowed for the airport to have a second runway this closure would not have been necessary.

He noted that there is on-going repair work at the Heathrow Airport in London but the airport has two runways so there is partial closure, as the other runway is taking inbound and outbound flights.

“If we had taken the bold step then to build a second runway the airport would not have closed for this major repair but now closing the airport has become inevitable for a quality work to be done. The runway has to be closed because its middle which takes the weight of the aircraft at landing is caving in and needs serious repair work to fortify it, as it is projected that in the foreseeable future more aircraft would be landing at that airport,” Dati said.

He also noted that those who oppose the closure needed to understand that an efficient work that could stand the test of time would not be done if the runway is put in partial use while the work is going on.

Before government’s decision to close the airport for comprehensive repairs, intermittent rehabilitation had been done at the runway over the years and it continued to deteriorate as it takes daily landings from aircraft of different sizes.

The airport is second busiest in Nigeria after the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Many airlines have had their aircraft damaged by the runway, from the Saudi Arabia cargo airplane to South Africa Airways flight and the damage on Emirates aircraft at landing, which was one of the reasons why the airline decided to pull its operations from the airport.

Dati observed that there should be understanding between the federal government and the airlines on the closure of the airport because it is for the safety of the aircraft that would be using the runway, adding that if good job is done on the runway, it would still serve the country until a second runway is built at the airport.

He said the runway life span was 20 years but it has been used 14 years beyond its expiring date, adding that a second runway at the airport is a critical necessity.

Nigeria Budget Minister Commends FAAN On Lagos Airport

The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed expressed  satisfaction with the state of the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos, commending Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for a job well done.

Mrs Ahmed made the remark yesterday at the airport in Lagos during her one-day tour of the airport facilities.

According to the Honourable Minister, there has been an upgrade that shows an improvement in passengers’ experience, especially on the arrival hall of the MMIA.

On the essence of the tour, Mrs Ahmed said the reason why they were at the airport was to inspect the projects under the FAAN.

"The reason why we are here is to inspect the projects under FAAN. The essence of this is to see how well government's resources are utilized. To also see and understand the challenges that the airport is facing so that when resources are to be allocated or disbursed, we will do it with the understanding of how they are to be used", the minister said.

Mrs Ahmed noted that her team will be writing a report and indicate what they have observed and also share the report with the authority for them to see what has been recorded as a result of the visit.

On the level of on-going projects at the airport, the Honourable Minister said "We have seen a number of projects at different levels of completion. We have seen a lot of good work that has been done. There are some projects that are suffering as a result of number of different challenges. We have also seen the upgrade of the airport that shows an improvement in users experience, especially on the arrival of the MMIA".

Mrs Ahmed further pointed out that, it is very evident that "we need to do a lot of work to upgrade the departure area of the airport. The luggage handling process is very problematic. It is largely manual and as a result of that, customers spend hours before getting their luggage. That needs to be addressed".

Confirming that some of the reports on the projects given to the ministry tallies with what is on ground, the minister, however, pointed out that progress has been made and a lot more still needs to be done.

The Minister was accompanied by officials of the Budget and National Planning Ministry and other stakeholders in the aviation industry including: Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Usman Murthar; Director of Finance & Accounts, Nike Aboderin;  Director, Commercial & Business Development, Sadiku A. Rafindadi; Ag. Director, Maintenance & Engineering, Engr. Salisu Daura; Chief of Staff to MD, FAAN, Zakari Mahmuda; General Manager, Budget & Planning; Abiodun Adegbesan; Ag. Airport Manager, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Victoria Shin-Aba; General Manager, DGM, Airfield Services, Jim Opotu and Public Affairs,  FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu.

Nigerian Aviation Veteran Supports Aviation Minister

Captain Dele Ore

The veteran and doyen of aviation in Nigeria, Captain Dele Ore has thrown full weight behind agendas of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the aviation sector which Sen. Hadi Sirika is heading.

While addressing aviation correspondents in Lagos,the former Director of Flight Operations of the defunct Nigeria Airways and immediate past president of Aviation Round Table gave kudos to how the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika is spearheading the aviation industry in Nigeria.  When he was asked to substantiate his support Ore said, “I am not advocating for anything new. I have seen 14 or 15 ministers. This is one minister who has related with the industry and continuously trying to say this is what we are trying to do. How many times have you seen  minister calling for stakeholders’ meeting ready to talk?. If that is only thing he has achieved, I want to give him my support.I am yet to meet this minister so I can tell him what he is doing and what he needs to do to get better result.”

Ore also pointed to the effort of Sirika in the re-election of Dr. Aliu as the President of ICAO Council. “When the re-election of Dr. Aliu was coming, you saw how this minister mobilised his team. They were there. To me, that is International Relations”.

On temporary closure of runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja Ore said: “It is now dawn on us that the runway will be repaired sooner or later. In fact, nearly 15 years too late that we should have done it and we have been endangering the lives of people for so long. And that is why I want to pitch my tent to support this current government to be bold enough to say, Let us close it down. I was shocked to hear it in the news that AON was suggesting that they will be working on one side and using the other side.”

On using Kaduna Airport as the alternate airport while the Abuja airport is temporary shut, Ore said Kaduna Airport has always been used for Hajj operations with big aircraft with heavy load. “Now, Kaduna Airport has even improved. There is a connecting train. One hour or one and half hours luxurious air conditioned that can start running every hour and on the hour back to Abuja. That  makes it better than Kano and also makes it better than Minna. Kaduna is not too hot like Kano because it is 2000 feet above sea level. Kaduna has been tested because during Hajj”.

Ore who was the Chairman of Concession Committee during the Yar’Adua administration supports concession of the airports as proposed by the government. “Concession of the airports is the way to go”

Buhari Appoints Helmsmen For Nigeria Aviation

 

President Muhammadu Buhari

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari has approved new appointments to take charge of some agencies in the country’s aviation industry. According to a statement by Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation: "Captain Fola Akinkuotu  will be in charge of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA); Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi  for Nigerian Meteorological Agency ,NIMET); Captain Abdulsalam Mohammed (Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT Zaria) and Engr. Akinola Olateru – Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)."

Captain Akinkuotu

Captain Fola C. Akinkuotu- Managing Director, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA). Captain Akinkuotu is a seasoned Transport Pilot, Flight and Aircraft Maintenance Engineer, Airline Chief Executive and a trained Aviation Industry Regulator. Akinkuotu is the current Managing Director to Aerocontractors.

Prof. Mashi

Professor Sani Abubakar Mashi – Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET)

A Professor of Geography with specialty in Environmental Application of Remote Sensing, Professor Mashi is currently a Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Abuja

Capt. Abdulsalam

Captain Abdulsalam Mohammed -Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria.

An alumnus of the College, Capt. Mohammed is a renowned Civil Aviation Trainer and Examiner with accreditation by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Civil Aviation Administration.

Engr. Akinola Olateru – Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)

An engineer of international repute, Olateru is a trained Air Accident Manager and Certified Safety Officer with Aircraft Maintenance Engineering licenses in Nigeria, USA and the United Kingdom. Olateru is the current Managing Director of Omniblu Aviation.

MINISTER ASSURES ON KADUNA AIRPORT READINESS

Minister of State, Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has once again given assurance on the readiness of the Kaduna International Airport for operations during the six - week closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Sirika gave the assurance this Friday while briefing newsmen during an inspection tour of the Airport on Friday in Kaduna.

He said that the existing 500 passenger capacity Hajj Terminal would be used with additional contingency plan in the event that the main terminal building under construction was not completed.

The minister also assured that the terminal building under construction which is at completion stage would meet the March 8 deadline.

“From what we have seen including the tiling, the furniture and everything that is in place, the terminal building will be ready before the due date.

“But just in case like in aviation, we always provide for fail safe and redundant equipment, and we are ready for eventuality in case something may come up that we may not be able to resolve,” he said.

Sirika said the runway was in perfect shape with the age light marking and every part was ready for operation.

He added that the control tower had been built with the radio installed, adding that it will be ready in two or three weeks, and revealed the availability of a standby mobile tower in case of challenges.

“Just in case that failed to be accomplished, there is the fire service watch tower and if that fails also, they have the mobile tower which is in Abuja that will be moved down during the period.

“You can see that in terms of preparedness and readiness of Kaduna airport to receive this task, the airport is ready,” he said.

Sirika disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved money for the rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna express way, adding that the Ministry of Works, Power and Housing would commence work immediately.

On security, he said that the federal government, in collaboration with Kaduna State Government would provide additional security around the airport, Kaduna metropolis and enroute Abuja.

According to him, aviation security will be enhanced within and outside the airport as well as ambulances and helicopter patrol by the security forces along the road from Kaduna to Abuja.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that the operation is smooth and we are committed to doing that and it is not just reaction it is about action.

“The government is providing free bus and train services to air passengers and helicopter services will be available for those that can afford it,” he said.

The minister debunked the reports in some media that airlines had rejected Kaduna airport, stating that they raised some concerns that will be addressed before the due date.

He also assured that their fears and concerns would be addressed promptly, adding that the six weeks operation will be a seamless one.

Mr Muhammed Joji, Chairman, Abuja-Kaduna Airport Transit Committee, said the operation would be successful.

Joji, who is also the Managing Director, Skypower Express Airways, said the committee had the responsibility of ensuring that all security issues were identified and addressed.

He added that the security issues around the communities around the airport had been handled with immediate reconstruction of the vandalised perimeter fencing.

According to him, the committee had held meeting with the local landlords on the issue of security in order to help the security agencies.

“As far as the movement is concerned, we will ensure that the money provided is properly utilised to achieve the desired results,” he said.

The federal government recently announced the closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for six weeks beginning from March 8, 2017 for comprehensive repair of the runway.

Delta Cancels Fort Lauderdale Flights; Activates Care Team

Delta expects continued disruption to Fort Lauderdale flying for the rest of the day, following reports of a shooting in the baggage claim area in Terminal 2 where Delta operates. Earlier today, Delta CEO Ed Bastian extended his condolences to the people of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.

As of 3:45 p.m. ET Friday, Delta has diverted six FLL-bound flights to Palm Beach International Airport, Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Jacksonville International Airport and cancelled 14 flights. The airline operates 33 peak-day flights from Fort Lauderdale to 9 destinations.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a nationwide groundstop for traffic through Fort Lauderdale this time.

Delta is working closely with law enforcement in their investigation, and out of respect to that investigation, details about the suspect will come from law enforcement officials.

Specially trained Delta Care Team members have been activated and are traveling to Fort Lauderdale to assist families and friends of customers and employees who may have been impacted by the shooting at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

Delta has issued a waiver for customers traveling to or from Fort Lauderdale to change their travel plans free of penalty, and the airline is working to re-accommodate customers. Customers can check the status of their flight at delta.com.

The airport remains closed, and Delta continues to work with local authorities to evaluate when airline operations can resume.

PICTURES FROM THE EMERGENCY STAKEHOLDERS' FORUM ON CLOSURE OF ABUJA AIRPORT RUNWAY

Abuja Airport Closure: Abuja Will Shut Itself If Nothing Is Done-FG

…We are not shutting Embassy-British Envoy 

…It will be shut between March 8 to April 19-Sirika 

The Federal Government of Nigeria has said that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja runway needs to be shut for the period of six weeks in order for it not shut itself. The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika said: “if nothing is done or the runway is maintained in the manner which it is being handled at the moment, it will shut itself without announcement just like the Port Harcourt Airport did sometimes ago for years before it was reopened. We do not want the same situation with the Abuja Airport hence the need to shut it for 6 weeks.” The minister made the statement at the Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Abuja yesterday.

 “The runway at Abuja constructed in 1982 has exceeded its design lifespan of twenty (20) years, which accounts for a number of distressed and failed portions. This situation has reduced the riding quality and safety margin in operating into this airport. The continued deterioration of this facility will eventually make operations unsafe. There is therefore the need to carry out urgent repairs and resurfacing of the existing runway.”-Sirika explained. 

British Envoy while reacting debunks insinuations that the British Embassy will shut its offices and leave the country as a result of the Abuja airport runway shut. “We are not packing our load and also take our staff and leave the country as a result of the Abuja Airport runway closure.”- Deputy British High Commissioner, Ms. Harriet Thompson said. 

 According to the minister, the Abuja airport will be shut from the midnight of March 8 and opened April 19.

Minister's Presentation on Closure of Abuja Airport Runway for Repairs

Nigeria Aviation: We Will Flag-off National Carrier This Year 2017-Sirika

…Abuja runway repair will finish on time

Sen. Hadi Sirika

In this interview, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika  expresses how the journey in spearheading the country’s aviation industry in the last one year has been. He also give what 2017 will look like with the anticipated closure of Abuja airport runway, concession of airports and other projects. Excerpt:

One year in the industry

The last one year has been quite challenging for me in the industry. This is the industry where someone has average knowledge of what is going on and  has a clear set target thinking that something achievable within a very short time. But of course, the level of decay has not been anticipated. On getting there without making excuses, we found out the challenge is huge. The industry has decayed almost beyond repair. The facilities at the airports that will enhance safety and security and facilitation of passengers have been totally brought down with no new investment. If you look at our industry at the moment, once there is  inclement weather, especially that of fog, ordinary fog that will reduce visibility, you still cannot fly aero planes around Nigeria. That is sad, because the level that aviation has reached in the world is such that you can actually carry out zero-zero landing, meaning that with zero visibility seeing nothing, you can still shoot on approach into the airport, land safely and take-off safely. The case is not so in Nigeria. This  requires funding. This is one challenge.

Also one has found out that the agencies and parastatals within the industry have become such a burden that it is very difficult to operate them. Some of them are not operating or nearly all of them are not operating according to the act that established them or according to ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices. There was an urgent need to reposition them to ensure that they comply with Act and also to comply with ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices . Some of them are bogus, over-staff,  inefficient and the only way was to begin the process of reorganizing and restructuring them for efficiency and better service delivery. Some of the airlines operating within the industry are having difficulties, inclusive of financial difficulties. They find it very difficult to operate and most of them are at the verge of collapsing.  Some of them have  already collapsed at the time we took over and the situation has not changed. They are finding it very difficult to operate. So also, absence of efficient and robust airline that is Nigeria based had forced other international airlines to take advantage of us and do whatever they like. Of course comes the non-availability of foreign exchange, knowing fully-well that aviation is Foreign Exchange dependent. You buy aero planes in foreign exchange, you buy spares in foreign exchange, you maintain aeroplane in foreign exchange, you  conduct training of crew and so on in foreign exchange. And even fuel you buy often times in foreign exchange. It is an industry that is dependent on foreign exchange and foreign exchange was not available at the time. So that became a huge and major challenge for us in the industry. The way and manner we get out the jet A1 is also another challenge tied to the absence of foreign exchange.

 Little wonder if you see some of the airlines are not able to operate. Passengers  who had hitherto thought they will travel and bought their tickets get to the airport and stayed for 12 hours, 15 hours; some cases I heard some stayed for 19 hours at the airports trying to travel and  they could have done so by road. This one year has been rough and tough.It did not go out without any good news. On the whole, it has been a year that has been very challenging.

The challenge of availability of funds,  aviation of course is not the only focus of the government. There have been other very critical sectors like education, healthcare and so on that needed more attention.  The money available for government for all of us is very small and limited. Therefore, funds available for aviation is very small and limited. We could not do better than what is available to us. Sometimes,  little thing that you think can be done, you find out that  you cannot do them. What you took for granted became a big issue. To calibrate our airports became a problem. We have to rely on foreign company like ASECNA to come and do it. At some point, I had to chase ASECNA in Montreal to plead with them to come and calibrate our airports so we could pass ICAO Audit. That is very demeaning from my perspective and it was not really good for us. Of course we do not want to envisage that they cannot come because they are already engaged and the plane due for service. It took a lot talking, persuasion and visitation for them to accept to come and do it for us and they did and went away. One would have thought that Nigeria has advanced to the level we can carry out calibration of our equipment without any recourse to minor countries. It proofs to be a challenge as well. It is just to highlight brief of the challenges when we came in.

No fatality in 2016.

We give glory to Almighty Allah for making it happened that way. We do know for fact that we are conscious of Standard Aviation procedures and recommended practices. The way aviation industry is run in this country, we try to  ensure that it is according to conventional and normal practices and recommendation of ICAO. And also our local civil aviation authority. We try as much as possible to ensure that every bit of the industry has complied with the provisions of those entities.  We also try to reeducate the entrepreneurs in the aviation to understand that aviation business is a risky business and that involves the lives of innocent people, so they must take it seriously.  These I think have contributed immensely to ensure safety increase and upped from where we met it. We have also been linking and attending conferences and seminars, we have been inviting people to come and speak with us.  We have carried out various stakeholders meeting and all of these are geared towards improving safety and security of the industry.

Abuja runway and 18Left in Lagos?

This is a different ball game altogether. 18 Left in Lagos at the time went through conventional and normal process of procurement . This is an emergency situation, it is abnormal situation. So, it is going to be treated in abnormal manner; in the sense that all the necessary approval has been secured, all the  bureaucratic bottlenecks have been eliminated from the process of this procurement. They are two different sets of procurement. This will be very different. There is no way it will start and stop. It will start, it will finish on time. Whatever timeline that has be given , we will not add a single day.

ICAO Air Services Negotiation conference in Bahamas

The essence of the conference in Bahamas was for negotiating air service agreement, rather than travelling from one country to another negotiating and renegotiating of air services agreement where countries are many. 150 countries went to Bahamas to negotiate between themselves, agreed and signed some of the bilateral services agreement and some to review them.  The one we signed while we were there was between us and Turkey. We signed with Turkey and we have reviewed several of them inclusive of that between us and  United Kingdom. We negotiated with about 16 countries. It offered us a huge opportunity  for us to be able to cut down number of foreign trips just for these purposes.  ICAO in their wisdom decide to select  one-stop shop where everybody can come and sign whatever they want to sign and go. We took advantage of that and I am glad that we went there. It was fruitful and also worthwhile.

Direction in 2017

There are quite a number of project that we will do in 2017. I want to say this is the year we will flag-off the national carrier itself. This is also the year we will go into the concession of our Four airports. This is also the year we will complete the transforming of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria into an ICAO Center of Excellence. I am sure it is the same year all our aviation agencies will be streamlined and follow  the Act that establishing them. This is also the year that Nigerian Civil Aviation Act will be reviewed and approved hopefully as new set of laws guiding our operations. I know also that this year by God’s grace we will receive quite number of our personnel that have gone on training to enrich themselves. I will like to say that we will like to commence if we can hopefully this year begin the exportation of agricultural produce, especially perishable items through air transportation. All of these are lined up to happen this year and many more. There will be a stakeholders meeting on Thursday to discuss the closure of runway in Abuja and our preparedness towards it.

Africa Open Skies

My take is that Yamoussoukro Decision is sacrosanct. It is what we need to transform our industry. It is exactly what has helped the European countries to develop the aviation community. Nigeria will not be left behind. We will take advantage of it. We are for it. Then we are also for Open Skies even though it may look at the moment to our  disadvantage when you look at Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya with Kenya Airways, South Africa with South African Airways, Morocco with Air Maroc and so on. There are airlines and there are many aircraft going from one place to another, it is not the case withr Nigeria unfortunately. But regardless, I think it will give us advantage and very soon when we establish our own National carrier, it  will seem that we are going to be a major beneficiary. You cannot kill Nigeria market, 180 million people, 22 airports serving all nooks and crannies of the country, produce all kinds of perishable items that need to be exported; the future is bright.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (Drone)

It will also be this year. We already have the policy in place.

Assistance from government.

I do know for fact that it is difficult for them to operate. I  am not sure if government on its own initiate those support services, but any airline that will come forward with request and we feel that the request is in the interest of the industry , we will be the first to promote that request. Airlines that are operating within the country and domestically owned, we have the moral challenge to help them. Just last week we have taken a decision that  most of the airlines that are owing us in dollars which they do not have not that they do not want to give. May be it will be good to take the Naira equivalent. The refineries will start working soon, I think this will augment whatever we are importing to make Jet A1 readily available. These are some of incentives we are putting in place to make sure that the airlines are functioning.

Advice to domestic airlines

They should think inward. I think  they should come together and consolidate. If you ask me,airlines like Medview, Max Air, may be Azman and any other one that look serious. They can group together and form one big carrier which can challenge any big carrier in Africa.  On the other hand there is also airlines like Bristow, Pan Africa and so on that are providing helicopter services within the oil and gas sector; it is my feeling that they will do much better and be stronger. Instead of them to collectively do 100 billion, rather than 1 billion individually. It depends how you see it. It is my advice for them to come together to consolidate. It is happening globally, the Star Alliance, One World and so on. These are initiatives just try to take advantage of each other’s strength and weaknesses and produce a better product. If they can come together, I think that will help the industry.

Business Aviation

Business Aviation is reacting to the economy of the country. Back in time, there was a lot of money when oil was selling for $140 to a barrel and we were producing 2.2 million barrels a day. So, there was much money  as Nigeria was making $300 million daily. We took over, production went down to 800,000 daily from 2.2 million. Also we took over, we met a barrier that for everything you must pay duties. So people that operate private aircraft became a bit apprehensive and jittery. Also they did not have the money to continue to pump in.

One passport and Visa free Africa

I think it is good. It will enhance trade and commerce. It will connect people and connect the businesses and make us one people. It is a stepping stone towards the utopian idea of United States of Africa. I just feel that this must continue. It must be driven from utopian idea to reality. I think this must be achieved. If that is achieved, you can go to Ghana, you can go to South Africa, to Mozambique and Morroco  and live there. You will see that it will no longer be anything to live out of your country. People will begin to struggle  to make money and bring it back home, which has been helping India economy for example.  Also, I believe it is what Nigeria can take advantage of .