Airspace agency mulls models for revenue management

 Airspace agency mulls  models for revenue management 

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is exploring sustainability models that will enable it fully utilize the revenue it generates from the services it renders to  operators of state - owned  and private airports, air strips and other platforms , overflyers and other users of advisory air traffic services.
Part of the strategies  by the aeronautical navigational service provider (ANSP) is clamour by the Federal Government to exit it from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) window , so that it could superintend over the revenue it collects to intervene in critical air navigation needs at airports and other locations where its equipment are installed and deployed nationwide.
Sources close to the agency hinted that the clamour will free the agency from the 40 percent remittance to the Federal Government of funds generated from the TSA window, which is putting the aeronautical authority in dire financial straits.
The source hinted that since the agency was exited from budgetary allocation a few years ago, it has been operating as a self funding organisation with huge capital exposure required for air navigation equipment to discharge its operational mandate.
Besides the clamour for exit from the TSA , the agency is contemplating deby recovery measures from airlines, operators of privately run and managed aerodromes, State Airports and others it renders services  to.
Investigations by The Nation reveals that the new drive by the agenda aligns with the funding model of airports in the United States of America , Canada and Europe where intervention envelopes are provided for air navigation service providers to acquire hi- tech opetational equipment and meet the training needs of its personnel.
Confirming the development in an interview, NAMA's Managing Director , Engineer Tayib Odunowo said the agency has  introduced a business process re-engineering to meet its many challenges.
He said :" Developments confronting us is pushing the agenda for new revenue management models. This could be in  the mould of what is obtainable in other parts of the globe where we have the Airways/ Airport Trust Fund, which opens a window for air navigation service providers to improve infrastructure at airports. This will include focus on airside facility improvement programme.
" Models such as grants are not ruled out . In the United States this model is assisting the Federal Airports Administration (FAA) to trigger airport / air navigatio  improvement programme for its over 20,000 airports. While 5, 300 of such airportsvatw publicly owned and run , the 14, 000 aerodromes are private facilities."
Odunowo said , the huge infrastructure burden in Nigeria , has triggered nrw thinking .
To pull through the challenge,   he said NAMA has  started building synergy among personnel of the organization, with the putting in place of  a projects review committee to re- examine the agency's over  20 ongoing projects across the country.
Odunowo said a Controller-to-Pilot information sharing forum has been created so that NAMA management now interacts with pilots across the country.
He identified automation as one of the challenges that he met stating that in this era of airspace modernization, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) need automation most.
“In NAMA, we want to capitalize on Information Technology,” he said.
Odunowo said there is emphasis on training and that NAMA intends to sign more agreements for virtual training.
He  said multilateration systems have been established in Port Harcourt with  29 sites in the Niger Delta Region  where transmitters are to be installed. He said the installations can be done before the end of 2023 if security challenges in the region permit it.
On calibration, he said two inspectors had been trained while two pilots had been engaged and sent for training in the United Kingdom.
He said Beyelsa, Anambra and Asaba airports were due for flight commissioning in November 2023, staging that funding was one of the agency’s major challenge.