2023: Underperformance Prompts Calls for Aviation Sector Reforms

The weak performance in the administration of the aviation sector in 2023, prompted industry stakeholders to call for reforms that will reposition the sector, writes Chinedu Eze

2023 cannot be described as a great year in the aviation industry because there was no spectacular achievement all through the year. Rather, the downside of events overshadowed the few achievements recorded in 2023.

It was the year that Nigerians seemed to have been shortchanged in many ways; when their hope for a national carrier was aborted. It was the year concession of airport terminals was processed but never materialised. It was also the year that many workers of the aviation industry bestrode Abuja and Lagos because in reality the directive to relocate operations to Abuja from Lagos as headquarters of aviation agencies was a ruse, as no adequate provision was made for the offices and the workers.

2023 witnessed so much negativity in the history of the aviation industry, where massive recruitment and appointments at the last breath of outgoing government were carried out. It was also the year that appointments were torpedoed and it sent shocking waves to industry stakeholders. The aviation industry became a labyrinth of confusion in the hands of top government officials.

Yes, there was not much to cheer in the aviation industry in 2023 because it was the year that Nigeria passed the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit for Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP) simply known as ICAO audit, but it failed in critical areas, scoring low in air navigation services and airdromes because of poor and inadequate airport facilities, which forced the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to refuse to certify them. Currently, no Nigerian airport is certified, which means they have not met ICAO standard it terms of critical facilities.

Also, in 2023 the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority repudiated its regulation when it gave Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to an airline almost a year after the airline carried out demonstration flight under a different management. It also allowed an airline to operate flights with wet leased aircraft when it technically did not have any Nigerian registered aircraft. These deviant behaviours of NCAA shocked many industry insiders who wondered how a regulatory agency could be breaking its own rules.

Achievements

The little achievements recorded in the aviation industry in 2023 include the fact that Nigeria became intentional about boosting its export of agriproduce by air and credit goes to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which set up AviaCargo Committee headed by Ambassador Ikechi Uko, a travel expert and organizer of Akwaaba African Travel Market. But before this effort, Nigeria was gradually losing export of farm produce and other products hitherto exported from the country.

Operators in that area of the industry told THISDAY that Nigeria could contribute significantly in feeding the world, if the Nigerian government prioritises exports by abiding by international standards that farm produce are subjected to. This would make the produce accepted in international markets, just as many African countries have done.

President of Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), Kingsley Nwokoma, told THISDAY then that, “We potentially have so much to export, but currently we are not exporting much. We export very few farm produce, perishables, but not like Nairobi (Kenya), which exports flowers all year round to Europe and Americas. They also export potatoes to Asia, America and Europe.”

According to him, “When the freighters come to Lagos, they drop their cargo and go to Kenya and pick up flowers to Europe.”

Reports indicate that Kenya earned the some of $983 million (108.9 billion Kenya shillings) from flower exports alone in 2020.

The work done by the AviaCargo Committee led to the inauguration of cargo village at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

The then Managing Director of FAAN, Kabir Mohammed, said the aviation cargo village would be a one-stop-centre aimed at addressing most challenges militating against massive exports in the country.

He said: “You can be assured that in the next few months, cargo aircraft will be departing from our airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance.”

Ambassador Ikechi Uko acknowledged to THISDAY that the work done by the Committee is one major mileage gained in the effort to improve what Nigeria could be exporting in order to earn the highly valued dollars.

“The AviaCargo Committee ignited a renewed interest in air freighting. In 2022 operators in airfreighting realized that the volume of what Nigeria was exporting by air had declined. So, the Committee enhanced a committed effort to bring back export of cargo by air and encourage the cargo planes to return to Nigeria. So, in 2023 a lot of efforts were made in that direction and FAAN, the federal government and stakeholders in air freighting should be commended for that. Hopefully, in 2024 airports should have real facilities for cargo business like warehouses, cold rooms where perishables could be kept before export,” he said.

Airlines

Nigeria airlines gained mileage in 2023. They made firm order for brand new aircraft and also received the first arrivals of such aircraft. United Nigeria Airlines made firm order for 10 Embraer aircraft, as the Chairman and CEO of the airline, Professor Obiora Okonkwo disclosed saying, “We are also expecting another set of aircraft thereafter – 10 brand new Embraer-175. These will help us increase our capacity for national and regional operations.”

Overland Airways made firm order of Embraer ERJ 175 and received the first delivery in September.  Also, Ibom Air made firm order for 10 Airbus 220 and received the first aircraft in November with more delivering in 2024.

Also, the West Africa largest carrier, Air Peace, in September made firm order of five Embraer E175 aircraft, thus raising the airline’s total aircraft order to 33.

The airline had earlier made firm order for 13 Embraer E195-E2, 15 Boeing MAX and has now ordered five of the Embraer E175.

Out of the orders made, Air Peace has already received five Embraer E195-E2, while the rest of the E195-E2 will be delivered early 2025.

Reforms

Not happy with the way things are going in the aviation industry, some stakeholders expressed worry and called for reforms. The Chairman of West Link Airline, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia warned that safety might be compromised if unprofessional conduct in the way NCAA regulated the industry continued. He warned that Nigeria would derail from proper running of civil aviation, should the situation persist, insisting that such development might injure the future of the sector.

He regretted that politics has eroded professionalism in the way aviation is run in Nigeria, stressing that ideally, as obtained in other parts of the world and in cognisance of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, NCAA should buoy all aviation activities in Nigeria.

“We are not running a proper aviation sector. We are running a federal ministry of aviation department. NCAA is not autonomous and it is the agency that should be in charge of aviation in Nigeria. But NCAA reports to the Minister of Aviation. The whole industry is supposed to be under the purview of the Civil Aviation Authority. Because when they come to do ICAO inspections, for example, who do they come to inspect? They say civil aviation. And who is the regulator, NCCA? So NCAA must be given its rightful place, very sound, intelligent, dedicated, patriotic citizens should be allowed to head the agencies,” he said.

Total Clean Up

Mshelia said the aviation industry needed a total clean up, adding that “If we want to grow our aviation industry, we need a total clean up. The clean-up should start with NCAA. All agencies and airline operators are the same level. Just like you do an organogram, you have managing director, and you have departments under him. Including government agencies, they are supposed to be below NCCA. If you like, Ministry of Aviation, and next is NCAA, then down the ladder, you have the others across. An airline and FAAN, they are the same service providers. One belongs to government, one is private. That is the only way the airline can now say, excuse me, I am not paying you for this because you never did this.”

Modern Facilities

Identifying specific areas that the reforms will touch, the Managing Director of Flight and Logistics Solutions Limited, Amos Akpan, said the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) should be assisted by the government and stakeholders to produce manpower that fits into the needs of the current business operators in the industry. There is urgent need to fill the gap in the manpower needs of the industry.

“FAAN/state managed airports need to understand the urgent need to provide facilities and services that are user friendly – designed to satisfy customer needs. The concept of FAAN as a servant to all businesses in the airport and travellers/visitors must be brought to manifest in their activities. There are too many excuses for failed services and non functional infrastructures.

“Before you reform, make sure what you have on ground serves its purpose by being in good condition and working well to please the user. Fix the lights on the apron, the taxiway lights, the instrument landing systems, the cracks/potholes on the runways, the air-conditioning in the halls, the orderly check-in counters, politely given information at all times to all terminal users, fix broken conveyor belts, make hydrants functional, install and deploy electronic ontime trackers and tracers of infractions within the airport vicinity,” Akpan said.

He observed that numerous immediate gaps exist to be fixed and closed before we get into theorised reforms that create consultancy and contracts for cronies in the regime.

“NCAA needs to catch up on personnel required for oversight, supervisory, and collaborative functions in the industry. Let them establish the accurate functional status of all airfields/airports in Nigeria.

There should be sufficient monitoring in the field that will reveal the actual sequence of processes and procedures operators go through in conducting daily businesses in the industry. When this is known, corrective actions should be taken to mitigate and eliminate obstacles and ensure compliance with global practices.

“We have existing systems and operations; which are not acceptable, and do not serve our interests, what do we do? Get to work and ensure they work satisfactorily first. Then you plan to improve, innovate, create and recreate by research and development. For now, it’s all theories and concepts; seminars and retreats; visions and agendas; while we continue to experience service failures, obsolete infrastructures and obstacles to doing business in the field, which is a delusional perspective,” Akpan added.

“They should ensure all operators comply with standard operational procedures. How do you jump into declaring ahub airport when you cannot facilitate movement of current passengers from Banjul-Freetown-Monrovia-Lagos or Abuja-Dubai?Just do right what you have to do now first,” Akpan further said.

Industry observer and media consultant, Simon Tumba, told THISDAY that it was obvious that the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika “almost wrecked our industry with his policies, particularly the Nigeria Air project.”

According to Tumba, “So far, the current minister, Festus Keyamo, started on a good note, but he should watch it and not meddle into regulatory issues, but allow NCAA to play its rightful role, put more emphasis on fixing our infrastructures, make our airports more customer-friendly and enhance connectivity of traffic within the subregion. Just like the whole economy, the previous administration has taken us back and we need a reset as soon as possible. We hope and pray the new minister, Festus Keyamo, will deliver.”