Restricted operations cost local airlines N4b yearly

Restricted operations cost local airlines N4 million per flight

By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor

Inability to operate flights 24 hours a day bleeds N4.3 billion yearly from local airlines which lose a combined N4 million per flight and N360 million in 90 flights, says Ibom Air Chief Operating Officer (COO) George Uriesi.

Uriesi lamented the restriction causes huge under-utilisation of aircraft fleets when he spoke at the 26th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos.

He said “Sunset Airports” do not have facilities for night flights and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) limits the few that have facilities to daylight operations, meaning that flights cannot service such airports after 6:30pm.

Nigerian carriers are “losing an average of N4 million per flight, N360 million in 90 flights and about N4.3 billion annually to sunset airport operations,” he stressed.

“This has led to a huge under-utilisation of aircraft fleets by Nigerian airlines as against the global industry standards, partly because too many impediments are present in the operating environment that limit airline productivity.

“These include limited runway availability across the domestic network, multiple operational infrastructure deficiencies, poor organisation and many others.”

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Prioritisation of airport facilities

Uriesi urged Abuja to prioritise airfield infrastructure, provide Instrument Landing System (ILS) and other facilities for every airport, as well as open aerodromes for use by airlines, per the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted by Nairametrics.

He also sought an update of approved master plans and make their use compulsory in every airport.

“Establishing a local aircraft lessor/financing vehicle that would allow for the domiciling of aircraft payments in local currency would make a huge difference to the air transport sector in Nigeria.”

Aviation non-starter

Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika told officials of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) last week there are no immediate solutions to the problems in Nigerian aviation and claimed the woes are global.

“Energy crises is real and it is global. Today there is aviation fuel problem all over the world. From America to New Zealand. It is aggravated in Nigeria because we don’t produce the product,” he said.

“It is aggravated also because the foreign exchange is scarce in Nigeria and the source of earning the foreign exchange has also has dwindled.’’

Sirika disclosed that the government has previously sourced 10,000 metrics tonnes of aviation fuel for domestic airlines and is willing to do more.