ART holds breakfast meeting

Mr. Gbenga Olowo ART President

Aviation Round Table, ART an aviation pressure group will be holding its quarterly breakfast meeting discussing airline business in Nigeria. The theme of this meeting is: Ownership, Funding & Sustainability of Nigerian Airlines.......  Lessons learnt from the past.

According to the President of the group, Mr. Gbenga Olowo who made the announcement said: “ART quarterly breakfast meeting will hold on Wednesday Sept 2nd at GolfView Hotel & Suites, 12 Adeyinka Adebayo Way ,GRA Ikeja @ 0730am. Very seasoned scholars led by Prof Anthony Kila from Cambridge University LON , Bismack Rewane, etc, will be leading the discussion on Ownership, Funding & Sustainability of Nigerian Airlines.......  Lessons learnt from the past.”

The meeting will have in its attendance airline chief executives and other stakeholders.

STAKEHOLDERS’ RESPONSE TO THE INTENDED NATIONAL CARRIER FOR NIGERIA

Compiled by Ariyo Akinfenwa

“Everyone who has been in, or around, aviation for a while would easily agree that the ill advised liquidation of the defunct national carrier, Nigeria Airways, is the evil wind that has bedeviled the industry till date.

It was not a mere death of an airline. It was the demise of the only know airline superstructure in Nigeria – the best ensemble of airline professionals. It was the demise of Nigeria’s global standard aircraft maintenance system that had already attained B737 check D (highest maintenance procedure) in Nigeria by Nigerians. It was, therefore, the death of Nigeria’s dream to establish and operate an MRO soonest.

The defunct National Carrier was responsible for the production of well trained aviation professionals – in Piloting, Engineering, Marketing, Cabin Crew, Dispatch, and every facet of aircraft operation. Its death also killed this noble endeavour.

And since the forced liquidation of the Nigeria Airways, no Nigerian Carrier has been able to go near its big shoes. None has even started to move in that direction.

It is, therefore, with enthusiastic welcome that one receives the news of the directive of President Buharito the Ministry of Aviation to expedite action on the establishment of a new national carrier which can now spearhead Nigeria’s deserved quest for global reckoning in aviation.

It is expected that the new carrier will strive for mega carrier status which can compete at the global stage. It is also expected that a full scale MRO will be part of the deal for the new carrier.

It is however important to sound this note of caution. Any idea of engaging a foreign airline, or foreign MRO as technical partner should be banished. This is because no sane business person will encourage a viable competitor. Nor will such partners agree to terms that will grant advantage to the new carrier overtheir already vested interests in their home airlines.

It is sincerely hoped that the Ministry of Aviation will be open and transparent in the process of setting up the new national carrier, and would allow participation by genuine industry stakeholders.

I and my organization, NAAPE, welcome this development enthusiastically, and we urge all industry stakeholders to support it with all sense of responsibility.”

Balami Isaac David

President, NAAPE

“With no concrete information from the Government, we are unable to make any comment yet although we feel that the Government should create an enabling environment rather than actually running an airline.”

Obi Mbanuzuo | Chief Commercial Officer (Acting Accountable Manager)

Dana Airlines

“It is a bad idea”

Anonymous airline CEO

“Before this decision/directive, have we done a thorough autopsy on the reasons that led to the death of Nigeria Airways?

National Carrier is going out of fashion in this industry as it has been demonstrated in many quarters.

National carriers succeed in countries were corruption is tightly managed as shown in the case of ET.

When government starts appointing Directors and those start awarding elephant/juicy contracts, the airline will gasp for breath and die.

Running is high cost and any cost that should be avoided has to be avoided. But with National Carrier in an environment like ours, I do not see this happening.

We can only have a competitive National Carrier if and only if;

·         We make our airports efficient and effective. This will make transit facilitation a good experience.

·         Government involvement must not be beyond 25% share.

·         Technical partner owing about 15%

·         Institutional investors take the remaining.

I am not optimistic but you never know.”

Kingsley Chima

Aviation Analyst

“Very simple, until there is a fundamental attitudinal change towards what belongs to government whatever is set up as a Nigerian government airline, therefore Nigeria Airways, will go the same way of the old airline. As long as I'm yet to see any concrete effort towards that change, I will advise President Muhammadu Buhari not to rush into it. In his last interview on Nigeria Television Authority, he admitted that the stealing of the nation's crude oil was still going on under his administration.

Nigeria of his old time as Head of State in 1983/85 is not Nigeria of 2015 where an airline can be conjured and it is established. He needs to reach out to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ask him why Nigeria Airways was liquidated; he needs to reach out to former President Goodluck Jonathan and ask him why his government was unable to set up a national airline. There are a lot of booby traps on that path that will hurt his administration more than he can imagine if he decides to plunge into it. 

Though, we need a national airline, at what cost at this point in time, when the Naira is counting at over N220 to $1? There are more fundamental needs for the Nigerian people than the government taking up a humongous project of setting up again a national airline at this time or the next four years of President Buhari.

We need to do more roads and connect remote villages and upcoming towns that will create jobs for people; we need to increase our revenue generation opportunities to improve our per capita income; we need to address the the current policing of the country by decentralizing the police force as presently constituted to a stronger regional force supported by modern techniques of securing such a verse area and population to have a safer environment; we need to reevaluate our educational system to make it more productive than mere academic exercise thereby establishing a stronger base for a better, enduring and endearing Nigeria; and to improve on electricity supplies. These will make better impact on the lives of Nigerians than a national airline that will take as much as the same fund to achieve these improvement in the lives of the Nigerian people in the next four years.

The present airlines that operate international routes can be devotedly encouraged by ensuring that government officials only travel Nigerian airlines, especially where the journey terminates in the countries where the airlines operate to. A pronouncement by government will will have a huge effect and impact.”

DEBA Uwadiae

Editor-In-Chief

Business Travel Publication

FAAN orders removal of unused aircraft

The Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has called on all owners of abandoned aircraft at the graveyard of the Murtala Muhammed Airport to evacuate such within the next seven days, as the Authority is ready to dispose of such aircraft, in line with the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

The Director of Airport Operations, Capt Henry Omeogu, who disclosed this recently, while on a safety inspection at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Domestic Terminal 1, noted that the action had become necessary due to recurring operational hitches that have been posing serious safety concerns to aircraft and some infrastructure at the terminal.

He appealed to the owners of the aircraft, some of which had been parked at the graveyard since 2005, to immediately remove them, to forestall situations, where unscrupulous elements would use abandoned aircraft as hiding places to perpetuate criminal activities.

Stressing that the Authority would continue to do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of all travellers and other airport users, in line with its mission statement, he enjoined all stakeholders to partner with the Authority to ensure safer and more secure airports.

Nigeria celebrates 90 years of aviation in November

From when the very first flight landed in Kano in November 1925, Nigeria’s aviation industry has continued to witness developments that have been multi-dimensional in nature. After decades of highs and lows in this critical sector described as the gateway to Nigeria’s economy, it has become expedient for stakeholders to evaluate the industry’s past, present and the future in order to chart a better course.

With this in mind, Media Age Communications Nigeria Limited will be putting up a two-day event to

commemorate the celebration. There will be a breakfast seminar with theme: 90 YEARS OF AVIATION IN NIGERIA: Past, Present & The Future; on Friday, November 6, 2015 being the first day of the event. The seminar will be followed on the second day by a Road Walk on Saturday, November 7, 2015 from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Headquarters to NCAA Annex by 7.00am.

This event has drawn much interest as Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), EAN Aviation, Pathfinders International among others have registered their sponsorship and support.

The breakfast seminar will be graced by invited aviation stakeholders where a guest speaker will be on ground and a panel of discussants will be constituted afterward to deliberate on the journey so far and looking ahead.

Despite the challenges facing the country’s aviation industry, there is still need to celebrate the years of existence because aviation has brought so much of growth and development to Nigeria.

For sponsorship and participation contact Ariyo Akinfenwa on +2348030526600 and mediaageng@gmail.com

NACCIMA VISITS SAHCOL WAREHOUSE

The Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Barrister Emmanuel Cobham has paid a facility visit to the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) warehouse. He was received by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Dr Oluropo Owolabi.

Barrister Cobhams, while expressing his delight opined that Nigeria has come of age with what he witnessed and that the SAHCOL warehouse can compete favorably with any cargo warehouse in the developed countries.

He said there is need for the general public to be aware of the level of standardization displayed by the new SAHCOL warehouse which was due to the level of professionalism displayed by the staff and Management of SAHCOL.

 In response, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Olu Owolabi emphasized that the new warehouse has created allowances for faster cargo collection and that there has been no record of pilfering or damage to cargo brought into the warehouse.

Speaking further, Owolabi called on the government to invest in exportation, especially in the area of packaging because it is embarrassing to see that the few exported materials out of the country are usually packaged with sacks.

David Etim a national officer, who was on the entourage of the DG, NACCIMA expressed the need for the government to have Collection Centres where farmers would drop their agro-products to be exported. He went further to say that farmers should be educated about storage and the need for proper packaging.

The DHL’s Airfreight Manager, Paul Liden, who was present during the visit, praised SAHCOL for its ingenuity in the new cargo facility, stating that, he has been quite impressed with the services that DHL has been receiving from SAHCOL. According to him, the efficiency ratio has been high and there has not been a record of damage or pilfering while return time has been shorter.

KANO, CALABAR AIRPORT EMERGE BEST AIRPORTS IN NIGERIA

Engr. Saleh  Dunoma, FAAN MD

The Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, have been adjudged best performing airport among the airports managed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

According to the General Manager Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, “The award was based on the Performance Management System (PMS) rating recently concluded by the Authority's Department of Planning. The PMS rating is an initiative for the Authority to measure, monitor and improve airport management and service quality through the assessment of each airport with the aim of improving travellers' experience.

The award which was presented by the Managing Director of FAAN, Engr. Saleh Dunoma at a recent event, was given in the category of Best Performing Domestic Airport for Calabar, and Best Performing International Airport for Kano. The awards were received by respective managers, Alhaji Mohammed Sanni (Calabar) and Alhaji Gambo Aboki (Kano).”

Margaret Ekpo International Airport Calabar emerged as the Best Domestic Airport for the first quarter while Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport emerged as Best International Airport in the country. Also, the Security Directorate of the Authority was given the Exemplary Performance Award for its role during the recently concluded ICAO Security Audit.

This second award was initiated by the Authority to encourage hard work and diligence among staff of FAAN in the discharge of their duties of providing safe and secure airports, improving and standardising airport operations, instituting minimum customer service standard, and transforming our airports into viable commercial and tourist centres, and customer friendly.

NIGERIAN SHIPPERS COUNCIL TOURS SAHCOL WAREHOUSE, EXPRESSES DELIGHT

In order to have a feel of the state-of-the-art facility being constructed by the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), members of the Nigerian Shippers Council tours the warehouse and was delighted with what is on ground. According to a statement from SAHCOL, ‘The efforts of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) to be the leading warehousing and ground handling operator in West African sub region has received a boost, as the Airfreight Stakeholders forum of the Nigerian Shippers  Council  paid a facility tour on the ground handling company.

The forum led by its Chairman, Toyin Olufade  was received  by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of  SAHCOL, Dr. Oluropo  Owolabi.

 The forum is made up of about 18 stakeholders among which are:  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA), Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agent, (ANLCA),Nigerian Customs Services, (NCS), Airline Operators,  National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA);  went round the newly constructed ultra modern warehouse of the company located at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala MuhammedInternational Airport, Lagos.’

Speaking on the forum’s visit, Olufade said the team was at SAHCOL to have a firsthand assessment of facilities on ground and to see how they could be explored to promote international trade in the country.

He equally said the visit would avail them the opportunity to market SAHCOL facilities to both importers and exporters within and outside the country.

Other members of the forum who spoke on their experiences during the tour expressed delights at the level of investment and facilities put in place by SAHCOL.

A member of the visiting team who wanted to know the ability of the warehouse to ensuring uninterrupted power supply for its facilities, was impressed when she was told that the company relies on three 500 KVA generators to power the equipment and facilities, notwithstanding the recent improvement the nation is witnessing in power supply nationwide.

 Some of the facilities toured included the Bulk-break area, Cold room sector, Freezers, Radioactive room; Human remain sector, Dangerous goods section, Valuable section, Custom examination section, Loading Bay and Unit Loading Device (ULD) storage.

Responding to the council’s statement, Dr. Owolabi who commended the team for its initiative to have firsthand information on the SAHCOL facilities for them to have adequate information on how to sell the company while promoting external trade for Nigeria called on Nigerians to invest in the packaging sector of the economy.

He said doing this would create a balance of trade between Nigeria and countries with which she has bilateral relations, since most airlines bringing imports to the country are usually ferried back empty.

“We need to package our products here for international trade. It is very unfortunate to see big cargo aircraft flying into Nigeria only to drop cargo without flying anything out of the country.

We don't necessarily need to depend on exports to European or American countries, but we could do it among countries in the West African region or the African continent.  We have millions of tones of yam tubers, mangoes pineapples, cashew nuts and other agro products that could be well packaged for exports to all these countries, instead of allowing them to rot away here.”

SAHCOL is poised to become a reference point where the efficiency of a successful flight operation is born. Hence, in addition to the completion of an ultramodern first-of-its-kind Custom Bonded Cargo Warehouse  at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, SAHCOL is committed to ensuring that ground handling to its customers is seamless.