July 29, (THEWILL) – The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCCA), Captain Musa Nuhu, has advised that the choice of decrepit and wrong aircraft type for flight operations could be the greatest undoing of an airline.
Captain Nuhu, who was represented by the Director, Airworthiness, NCAA, Mr. Gbolaham Abatan, stated this at the League Of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) 27th Annual Conference with the theme: ‘Nigeria’s Aviation Industry: Changing Times, Changing Strategies,’ held at Providence Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on July 27, 2023.
He, however, expressed his delight that some of the domestic airlines are beginning to see operators moving away from poor choice of aircraft, poor or bad route planning and operating models.
He highlighted that many Nigerian airline operators, cutting across established and new entrants, are appreciating the economics or intrinsic benefits of operating newer and narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft like Boeing 707, Boeing 727, Boeing 737, Boeing 757, Airbus A320 and Embraer E-Jet families, as their immediate recovery and survival strategy.
“This is linked to the prohibitive cost of fuelling, management and maintenance of larger aircraft. In this category are big jets configured for general aviation such as Boeing 740/777, Boeing 767, Boeing 787, Airbus A330/340/380, MD-11 and MD-11ER. Operators should choose the aircraft that best suits their business plan as the choice of decrepit and wrong aircraft type for flight operations could be the greatest undoing of an airline,” Capt Nuhu added.
He opined that the global airline industry is one of the most competitive industries and therefore, to effectively tap into its huge market opportunity, cooperative behaviour and alliances among airlines became inevitable as it is prevalent in other climes.
In actual fact, he said, the first large alliance began in 1989 with large-scale code sharing between Northwest Airlines and KLM.
He noted that as of now, there are three global airline alliances operating in the air travel industry, namely: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam, which has Air France-KLM and Delta Virgin Atlantic as members. He added that Oneworld has American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia, while Star Alliance, which is the world’s largest global airline alliance, has United Airlines, Air Canada and Lufthansa.
The airline industry in Nigeria, according to the DG NCAA, which currently contributes over $1.7 billion as well as supports over 240,000 jobs directly and indirectly, transformed into a more competitive market following its deregulation a couple of decades ago.
Taking a cue from legendary global alliances, sometime in 2022, he revealed that there was also a revolutionary initiative in the industry when about six of our operators signed a pact tagged the ‘Spring Alliance’ to mutually support one another’s operations and improve service delivery for the mutual benefit of the passengers and the airlines alike.
“Even though the ‘Spring Alliance’ was a Nigerian initiative, there is a window for other like-minded airlines around the world to key into the scheme. Efficiency is the barometer for success in the industry as airlines’ On-Time-Performance (OTP) is an indispensable condition.
“Without any iota of doubt, such a landmark passenger-centric initiative will bring about sustainability and stability of airlines operations in terms of connectivity, low capacity and enhancement of seamless facilitation, thereby preventing flight delays and cancellations. Even though the phenomenon of delays is global, we are poised to minimize the number of delays to the simplest minimum,” he added.
He announced that synergy, collaboration, cooperation or merger is the rule of the game and encouraged Nigerian airlines to avoid I-want-to-do-it-alone, as reflected in their lone-wolf operational tactic.
Capt Nuhu appreciated the operators for a job well done in terms of spirit and impact and urged airlines to partner with their willing foreign counterparts through code sharing in developing Nigeria’s aviation industry.
He cited how Air France interlined with Aero Contractors and mooted that by nature and approach they should manifestly embrace collaboration and exhibit sustained commitment lest average Nigerian carriers become ever more fragmented and less competitive with mere individual identities.
“As aviation is global we have no choice than to keep aviation working by adopting workable initiatives and rightful changing strategies to contend with ever-changing times. What is happening in aviation is happening in all sectors. All these challenges, notwithstanding, as the regulator, safety remains a priority, non-negotiable and it supersedes all other considerations for us. We are neither a police agency of the industry nor in existence to close airline businesses. The NCAA is willing to support the airline to get out of the woods,” he said.
The cynics, he said, have once expressed views that growth in the aviation sector could only double after 15 years but the reverse is the case.
He stressed: “We are seeing steady growth in the domestic sector with more airlines processing their Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) and the rate of connections among cities increasing. We are witnessing Nigerian airlines embarking on aggressive but strategic expansion in regional connectivity and route strength as well.
“In spite of the numerous challenges, Nigeria’s air transport is making progress. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA), in a recent study, recognised that Nigeria’s air transportation sector has contributed over $1.7 billion in addition to the provision of well over 240,00 jobs.”
About the Author
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
