Absence of night operations costs airlines N50bn yearly

●Aerodromes lack airfield lightings

The bleeding of Nigerian airlines could be curtailed if all the international airports across the country have facilities to ensure 24 hours operations, which could generate additional N50 billion revenue for the industry, Woleshadare.net has learnt.

Experts who spoke to our correspondent said not operating most of the airports in the country cost the airlines enormously, adding that the losses could be over N50 billion annually if they have to put all factors into consideration.

Aside Lagos, Abuja, Kano airports, major airports such as the Enugu International Airport and Port-Harcourt do not do 24 hours services and this has caused airlines enormously as their operations end, most times, at 7 pm.
Even at Lagos airport, the runway for domestic operations, popularly referred to as 18/L still do not have facilities for night landings for over 10 years, a situation that makes inbound and outbound flights to choose to land on the other runway for international operations after 7pm, thereby causing the operators so much.

Not a few believe that installation of airfield lighting at all the nation’s airports will boost the revenue of domestic airlines to the tune of about N50 billion annually.

This is the estimated amount of revenue that the airlines lose because they do not operate after 6:00 pm in over 18 airports in the country owing to lack of critical landing facility. If the equipment is available, airlines would be able to operate extra four hours every day, from 6 to 10 pm to many of the nation’s airports.

Also, it will help the airlines to fully utilise their aircraft, which has stipulated minimum time it must be flown by their manufacturers.

In other climes in Europe and the United States, a Boeing B737, which is the popular operating aircraft in Nigeria, flies for at least 20 to 22 hours a day, but in Nigeria, such aircraft fly for between 8 and 12 hours.

By 6:00 pm, most airlines begin to shut down because their aircraft can no longer fly to many of the airports. If majority of the airports have airfield lighting, many of these airlines could operate till 10: 00 pm and such airport that are located in the cities such as the ones in Benin, Asaba, Enugu, Owerri, Uyo, Calabar, Ibadan and Akure could have been operating deep into the night. But by 5:00 pm, airlines cancel flights, which they could not operate before 6:00 pm and when they cancel flights, they lose revenue and a bit of their goodwill.

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Former President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Capt. Dele Ore, said the situation has really shrunk the market, thereby hampering the prosperity of the carriers who, out of their own volition, end their operations to certain airports because the aerodromes do not have facilities to aid their night operations.

“Prosperity depends on the utilisation of aircraft that are on lease by the airlines. Most of them have low utility on their equipment and they still have to pay, whether they use the equipment or not. With a few flights that they do, how do you expect them to be profitable?, he added.

“But you have to look at it in terms of potential additional revenue for operating for longer periods, perhaps into the night. Again, you can also look at it in terms of underutilisation of the aircraft because they are not used for longer periods during the day. So, at the end of the day, you may estimate that what airlines lose should be in the region of N40 billion in a year. But this depends on how many of such airports that you think you can access.

“You need to also take into cognisance the security situation in the country to also know whether people want to fly late into the night.”
Speaking at an interactive press briefing with the media last week, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, said that the agency was working on ensuring that facilities are provided at all the international airports, including Enugu airport, to prepare them for night operations.
Wole Shadare