Captain Amos Akpan, is the Managing Director of Flight and Logistics. In this interview with some aviation journalists, he rated the one year performance of the present administration in aviation and his expectations in the next year. SHOLA ADEKOLA brings excerpts:
What is your assessment of the government’s performance in the aviation sector in the last one year?
The government has been very busy trying to catch up with what they consider applicable solutions to the problems in the country. The government has been reacting to rising inflation, to energy crisis, to insecurity, to lack of forex, to back trade transactions and to insufficient funds to meet budgeted expenditure. These problems are increasing and multiplying faster than the government proffers and applies solutions.
In aviation, you must have enough power to speed and lift before the end of the runway otherwise the end of the runway will catch up with you before you can lift. The opposite end threshold must never rise faster than the aircraft speed at take-off.
The government must change tactics. The government must be proactive and preemptive against banditry, against public offices that hinder ease of doing business like small and medium scale enterprises. The government must identify and stop those that make cost of production and logistics for delivery of goods and services high. Think steps ahead of oil bunkerers, bandits and cyber-criminals. Think of security to farmlands, improved seedlings.
The Aviation Minister has been up and doing, trying to apply solutions to existing problems. He assisted Air Peace secure the commencement of flights on the London route. He has shown support for the heads of the aviation agencies in whatever remedies they are applying to existing problems. He has communicated clearly that he wants to design and build hub airports. But I do not agree with the drive to generate revenue hurriedly and at all cost from the agencies in the industry. Why? Operators pay for the services they get from the agencies. The agencies are supposed to use the payments to provide and maintain the facilities and infrastructures as well as upgrade them. When you mandate the agencies to give up over 40 percent of these receivables, then you put numerous taxes on the operators, you are starving them while you expect the industry to grow.
What areas do you think the government should focus attention on to move the industry forward?
What the Nigerian aviation industry needs include a guaranteed means for operators to access funds on single digit interest rates and a minimum tenor of seven to 15 years; encourage existing Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) organisations to get more space and equipment to accommodate aircrafts operated by Nigerian airlines. I am referring to the existing MROs that are certified by NCAA and are currently carrying out category A to C maintenance on aircraft operated by Nigerian airlines and functioning and verifiable total radar coverage of Nigerian airspace.
Others are certification of airports in Nigeria by NCAA. Each airport should be classified in accordance with the status of infrastructures and facilities provided; align the training curriculum of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria to meet the manpower needs of the operators in the industry.
Determine the personnel and equipments NCAA needs to carry out effective oversight on the operators in the industry and provide them. Too much gap currently exists. NCAA needs capacity to oversee compliance of aviation fuel suppliers, catering suppliers, handling companies, maintenance organisations, training organisations, travel and airfreight agencies, federal and state airport authorities and the airlines.
There should be punishment for negligence and infractions by persons in office. Somebody must account for breaches and infractions in FAAN, NAMA, and NCAA for failure to do their jobs.
This government should include in their key performance indicators monitoring and ensuring existing infrastructures and facilities are maintained, repaired on time and upgraded. This government should set up a yardstick that keeps these facilities functioning at installed capacity, plus install intervention programmes for predictable return to service when any equipment breaks down.
This government should change the concept of FAAN from, ‘doing favour to airport users’ to ‘making sure the end users of all their infrastructures and facilities are happy.’ FAAN should strive to make every end-user of their products and services happy. Make the airport easy and friendly for the users. Communicate and guide airport users firmly into compliance with FAAN procedures at the airport; don’t bully them. This government should adopt consultation with stakeholders, accommodate opinions and be able to sift recommendations to use what fits into their policy agenda.
This government should set timelines to eliminate the obstacles to cargo export in our airports, streamline the procedures, reduce number of inspection points, cut off the papers, emphasise the screening machines and electronic documentation.
Where do you see the industry in the next three years?
By May 2027, I hope to see travellers from West African cities arrive Abuja and Lagos then connect international airlines to other cities in the world. Why? This is because we would have enabled easy and friendly transit facilities in Abuja and Lagos airports.
By May 2027, freighters will depart daily from our agro airports because we would have sorted our compliance to international standards.
By May 2027, Nigerian airlines would have flight schedules that link West, Central, East and South Africa.
By May 2027, five star global, Aero Contractors, and Ibom maintenance organisations would be enabled to carry out maintenance for most of the aircrafts operated by Nigerian airlines. How? By partnerships and alliances with foreign organisations that manufacture and overhaul parts. By May 2027, Some Nigerian airports and their immediate environment would be powered by independent electric power plant. By May 2027, I expect that Nigeria’s airspace would verifiably be under total radar coverage
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