Need for sustainable rescue of Nigeria’s aviation

Lack of proper facilities at airports has led to losses by airlines. Some parts are completely inoperative at night. Substandard materials were used in constructing and reconstructing the airports, making them wear out in a couple of months. A development policy that will aid growth in the aviation industry is overdue. An industry expert and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe stated that an industry protection policy should be introduced to help provide long term repayment loan. Analysts encouraged Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to have a development policy that spells out in details, how to grow the aviation sector. It is not enough to have governing laws and policy to guide the industry, but a will to enforce such laws. In an event of mismanagement or disobedience to such set down rules, there must be dire consequences to deter future law breakers.

This is sometimes as a result of the laxity of the airline operators themselves. Some fail to research the industry properly before venturing into the business, and don’t work according to the rules and guidelines set down for operating an airline. Qualified meteorologists, trained pilots and engineers are not employed; ‘old’ aircraft are used. According to Godday Odidi in a June 2012 report, no airline uses 2012 modern aircraft.

 There is the need to cut down and consolidate on charges and taxes in the industry, from the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC), to Passenger Service Charge (PSC), to En-route Navigational Charge (ENC), to Landing and Parking Charges. Managing Director of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema alleged that operators pay multiple high charges, fuel prices and are faced with poor facilities at the airport. This in turn affects the profitability of the airlines and payment or non-payment of workers, and ultimately leads to the quick mortality of airlines.

The price of Jet-A1 otherwise known as aviation fuel is cause for concern, especially as the other countries have had a reduction in the prices of this fuel except Ni-geria, where it seems to be rising despite being an oil rich country.The effect of this is on the price of flights and inadvertently the profit realizable, has been dire, especially in a country where a lot more still consider flying a luxury. Aviation professionals including the agencies, pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, handling agents, ground equipment operators all have their roles to playFrom the agencies issuing the right certificates, licenses and permits without sentiments, and only when the airlines have truly met the required standards, to engineers duly signing certificates of release to service, to traffic controllers required to work with the necessary serviceable equipment and the right manpower doing as they should.Thus when there has been a lapse, no matter how slight, serious consequences should arise as this will promote adherence to laws and rules set down and subsequently, growth in the industry and economy as a whole.

The need for a national carrier in the country is one that cannot be overemphasized; especially as there is no relevant law mandating Nigerian government officials to use only Nigerian registered or local based air carriers for all transportation. Save for one that flies international routes, most businesses done internationally or even locally by these officials, are mostly by other air carriers, thereby realizing more money for other economies, as opposed to our own.

Nigeria is one of the few top Africa Revenue Passenger Kilometer (RPK) countries. In fact, second only to South Africa, and has Africa’s largest economy. Its aviation industry should be contributing about 40 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but hardly contributes up to five per cent.

 Capt Dung Rwang Pam recently stated that the two major factors responsible for the slow social and economic development of the entire country for the past three decades are lack of adequate power supply and jurisprudence or respect for the rule of law and order. The solutions to the issues discussed above are premised on these two key points, and this is because there is need for adequate power supply, applicable laws and the respect for those laws, for a country to make progress in key areas of infrastructural and manufacturing processes or attract foreign investors.