Tackle air side crowding , NAHCO boss urges NCAA , FAAN

 Tackle  air side  crowding , NAHCO boss urges NCAA , FAAN 




Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO ) Aviance Plc, Mrs Olatokunbo Fagbemi has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to take urgent steps to reduce the over crowding of at the air side of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
She said if the challenge was not addressed it could pose serious safety and security concerns for ground handling companies and others doing business at such critical parts of the airport.
Speaking to The Nation in an interview at the weekend in Lagos, Fagbemi  said the regulatory and airport authorities needed to design some standard operating procedures and other initiatives that will reduce the number of persons, structures and equipment at the air side of the airport.
She said too many people and structures at the air side could have negative impact on the safety and security critical activities at the air side.
Fagbemi said the NCAA and FAAN should set up committees to address this obvious gap, so as not to expose the under belly of the nation's premier gateway.
Besides, coming up with policies, programmes and procedures that will address the challenge, she said on going safety and technical audits by international civil aviation regulatory bodies should factor this into their programme while carrying out assessment of operations at the airport.
Fagbemi said the regulator needed to step up its game by creating a conducive operating environment for airlines and ground handling firm without compromising safety.
Speaking against the backdrop of price war and competition among ground handling companies, she said the NCAA and FAAN had huge roles to play in ensuring that the drive for improved market share does not expose the industry to unsafe practices.
She said the business of ground handling was becoming more competitive as global airlines were now divesting from the business as part of efforts to maximize costs.
Citing the recent divesting of equity by Lufthansa German Airlines in NAHCO Aviance, Fagbemi said it was a corporate decision taken by the carrier since 2016.
She said it had nothing to do with competition or price war, as the carrier remains one of  its biggest clients in ground, passengers and ramp services.
The NAHCO Aviance boss said :"  Lufthansa’s leaving has nothing to do with NAHCO, rather, it has to do with Corporate decision in 2016, Lufthansa is still in some business with us, so it shows it wasn’t an issue with NAHCO.
“ There is no doubt that some customers have left NAHCO but others have also come into NAHCO, there are areas of competition we need to improve on.
" We have to think about the issue of anti-trust, we have to ensure that we do not compete in such away that safety is not considered but the regulator should ensure that safety and security is not compromised. She said the company will reenergize its system to ensure improved customer service in lines with international standards.

“My top priority is very simple, it is to get everything right because when we get everything right for the customer and we deliver the right kind of service, then we get the right kind of income that can trickle down to profit and it is from the profit that we are going to be able to pay the right kind of dividend,” Fagbemi said.

According to her, the company will going forward enhances its processes to create an enviable place to work in, a company that is operating in line with international standards, the one that follows all the regulations and deliver greater stakeholder value.

“A lot of work has been done in the past, what I will do is build on what is there, the areas where there are gaps, my priority will be to close those gaps and ensure that we deliver services in a safe and secured manner,” Fagbemi said.

She said the company will invest in human capacity and technologies to ensure that the company continuously has the requisite people with the right knowledge and the right processes to deliver world-class services in line with International Civil Aviation Organization  and International Air Transport Association  standards.

“What we are going to do is put into our people the right kind of knowledge, the right kind of vision and passion that drives everybody to excel. Because even if we put in the best systems, we have the best facilities, we have the best equipment, if we don’t get the people right, it is going to be a waste,” Fagbemi said.

She said the company is  looking at investing at least, N3.6 billion to procure state of the art equipment and technology to enable it drive its vision of improving the business.

Fagbemi  said the company is already expecting N1.9billion worth of equipment investment before the end of the first quarter of the year.
She said : " In terms of investment, in the last couple of months we have invested over N1.9billion in equipment which will be doubled by the end of the year, but you will begin to see the equipment by the end of the first quarter, the first set. ”
“The next set, by the end of the year, we would have spent about N3.6billion in equipment so we also believe that by September, we would have the next set of equipment , so that’s what we are doing in terms of equipment.”


NAMA to carry out  maintenance of airspace radar





Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said it will in the next few months carry out reconditioning of the The Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) to ensure its entire system attains acceptable reliability level specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Reconditioning in aviation par lance, is total overhaul of the airspace radar equipment.
Besides, the exercise is part of efforts to keep pace with global best practices.
Its Managing Director, Captain Fola Akinkuotu disclosed this at the weekend in an interview in Lagos.
According to Akinkuotu the reconditioning will involve a 'Turn-around-maintenance' ,  which is to be carried out by the equipment manufacturer- Thales Group of France.
This is just as NAMA has taken delivery of another consignment of critical spare parts required for the continuous service and operation of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON).
The consignment,  Akinkuotu  said  was cleared at the Apapa port in Lagos from Thales Group, in France include MES1 1400A power supply modules, control units and other critical units.
The spares , he said will be  used by NAMA engineers to effect repairs on any of the nine TRACON installations across the country as may be required to ensure optimal functioning of the system.
Akinkuotu said : " The relationship between NAMA and the equipment manufacturer, Thales has never been a frosty as some  reports would have it. In fact,  it has been very cordial and we are poised to continue to keep it that way. You will recall that we cleared some consignments of spare parts for TRACON last year from the same Thales.”
He disclosed that apart from the spares already received, another consignment of spares has landed Apapa port and is being presently cleared while other consignments are already being shipped to Nigeria from France according to the shipping schedule and was sent to the agency by Thales, adding that payment has already been made for all consignments ordered for. 
Akinkuotu said the acquisition of spares for TRACON is in line with the agency’s decision to be proactive in maintaining the nation’s radar facility.
“Availability of spares would ensure that parts of the radar equipment would be readily available whenever and wherever they are needed. There are some that would immediately be used for replacement while others will be kept in the warehouse pending when they will be needed and I can assure you that NAMA engineers have the capacity to undertake the maintenance of this facility as they have always done in the past,” Akinkuotu said.





Trapped N700m stalls payment of Ex- Airways workers final benefits

The final payment of severance benefits to former workers and pensioners of liquidated national carrier : Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) scheduled for the first quarter 2019 is stalled on account of N700 million stalled in eight commercial banks investigations have revealed.
The Nation learnt that the outstanding N22.5 billion to be released to former workers of the rested carrier will be delayed until eight banks release the unauthorized N700 million paid in error into the account of the former workers in error in the banks.
The with held funds, investigations reveal is creating problem between the Office of  Accountant General of the Federation.
The Office of Accountant General of the Federation is said to be piqued over the unprofessional conduct of the banks.
Investigations reveal that the N700 million was overpayment  made in error into the account of some of the former workers.
The payment , was part of the hitches identified after a  verification exercise on the former  workers of the defunct national carrier.
A source hinted that  efforts made by the Accountant General and the National Union of Pensioners (NUP), representatives of the workers to make the banks refund the money to the Accountant General's office  has not yielded positive results.
Rather than return the N700 million  the banks have failed and are allegedly trading with the money.
The eight banks affected include: the First Bank which is said to be in possession of the lion share of 80 per cent  of the money in question.
Other banks include: Diamond, Fidelity, Polaris, Zenith, Stanbic and Ecobank.
While the eight banks failed to comply with the  agreement to refund the money, few others are said to have voluntarily retuned the money mistakenly paid into their accounts.
The banks that have fully refunded the money are: GTB, Keystone, Standard Chartered, Unity and UBA.
While the office of the accountant General was said to be unhappy with the banks, the union representatives of the former airline workers have given the banks one week ultimatum which ends this week to return the money.
Former workers of Airways said should the banks fail to return the money this week, they will picket the banks.
The refusal of the banks to refund the money is said to be slowing down the ongoing payment of the last batch of the former workers  entitlements.




FRSC inaugurates  Marshals at MMA2

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Command, has inaugurated a new body of Special Marshals at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), in Lagos.
Spokesman of Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) Tunde Osowe  has disclosed.
He said the inauguration was hinged on the long-standing relationship that existed between FRSC and the management of BASL, operators of the MMA2.
The Special Marshals unit according to him will  be saddled with the responsibility of administering road safety standards and other relevant measures aimed at ensuring orderliness not only around the airport but also in different parts of the country.
The partnership , he said is  part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of BASL towards ensuring safety of lives and property in engendering national growth and development.
Speaking at the event,  BASL’s Group Executive Director (GED), Mr Rodger Whittle said the task of establishing and maintaining a safe and secure environment is a continuous duty   demanding  collective responsibility.
He said the challenges on Nigerian road network were precariously enormous requiring a lot of support beyond the confines of operations of regular marshals of the FRSC.
He said this informed the reason of establishing the Special Marshal unit .
Whittle said:  “We have professionals of diverse fields and capacities across the BASL company who have volunteered and are committed to be part of this commission; in order to contribute meaningfully to safety of lives and property.
“At MMA2, the core of our service promise is to ensure seamless passenger facilitation and this ties very strongly as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative central to the fundamentals of our business mandate. We are ever willing and would continue to support and champion initiatives that are geared towards making the society safe, secure, habitable and a better place for all.
While giving his opening remarks, the Sector Head of Special Marshal, Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC), Mr. Bashiru O. Adeyemi, reiterated the benefits of the initiative to national growth and development.
No fewer than 40 Special Marshals were inaugurated at the event.




Our position on aircraft in dispute, by NCAA



Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said at the weekend that it is taken aback by on going controversies over ownership dispute on two Bombardier Jets between TopBrass Aviation and a lessor Sea Gold Investment Limited.
Top Brass Aviation accused the NCAA of taking sides in the dispute over two aircraft and subsequently dragged it before a Federal High Court for contempt of court in tampering with the two airplanes.
The airline alleged that while a subsisting court order was issued, the NCAA went ahead to collude with AeroContractors to facilitate the movement of the aircraft into its hangar for unworn illegal ferry out of the country.
Its Director General, Captain Mukthar Usman said the regulator is surprised that it was being accused of tampering a Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft that was not put under its watch by President of Top Brass Aviation, Captain Roland Iyayi.
Speaking in an interview, Usman said Nigeria as a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, must ensure that operators adhere strictly to rules and regulations that it's regulator has signed on to.
Usman said the NCAA would  take cautious steps to respond to the owners of TopBrass Aviation.
 Iyayi said that despite a Federal High Court summons on the regulatory agency over contempt of court in the disputed ownership of two Bombardier jets at Lagos airport, filed the court order is allegedly still being flouted.
However,  NCAA said  it intends to meet the airline operator in court to challenge the allegations against it on the two Dash-8 Q-300s with registration 5N-MSN 61TBB with 3 and 5N-TBC with MSN 614 , which is currently housed at the Aero Contractors hangar.
Capt. Usman said that since the case was in the court of law, he would rather keep mum and wait till the case go through the processes.
He said: “First of all, I am not in the know of any tampering of any aircraft because the company did not put its aircraft under the watch of NCAA and I believe that as a responsible organisation, we should not be discussing a case that is before the court.
“ I am surprised that TopBrass is being mentioned everywhere. We will respect the court. We will wait until the outcome of the judgment before we will make any pronouncement. However, Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, which helps especially African countries to get access to lease of aircraft.
“In the process, there are procedures, whoever that is leasing, signs an adherence, which allows the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to deregister aircraft when there are defaults.
“I  am very surprise  NCAA has been dragged to court severally by this person who signed voluntarily and it is the same person that is making the allegation. So, we will meet in court.”
On January 15, 2019, Justice Mohammed Hassan; at the hearing of the contempt proceedings, ordered Director-General of NCAA, Captain Muktar Usman and all parties to be represented at the adjourned date, on February 28, 2019, else he will issue a bench warrant as the case was a quasi-criminal trial and those served must not fail to appear physically.