Nigeria Aviation At 111% Pre-COVID-19 Recovery Performance – MD FAAN
The Nigerian aviation industry has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic era, and it is presently performing at 111 per cent, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said.
With its present performance, it is only Colombia, which has 120 per cent that is performing higher than the country country’s pre-Covid-19 pandemic.
This shows that Nigeria has recovered faster than the United States, United Kingdom and many other developed aviation countries around the world.
Speaking as a Guest Speaker at the 2022 edition of Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN) Aviation Safety Summit with the theme: ‘Aviation Safety in a Global Distressed Economy: The Place of Nigeria,’ held in Lagos, recently, Yadudu insisted that the Nigerian aviation industry was performing way and above expectations.
He, however, attributed the quick recovery to resilience and determination to achieve positive results by all stakeholders in the sector.
Besides, Yadudu said what gets aviation industry globally going is not the number of personnel, but the compliance to requirements, safety procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
He emphasised that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as the industry regulator could not monitor the activities of every operators individually, stressing that the onus lies on stakeholders to adhere strictly to industry best standards.
“As an airline, you must do your job rightly without being monitored by the NCAA. All stakeholders must imbibe this culture of safety in their day-to-day operations,” he said.
Yadudu pointed out that FAAN, as the airport operator, has put in place several measures to forestall any decline in aviation safety standards, which may negatively affect revenue generation for all players in the industry.
Among the safety measures include the recertification of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Also, he mentioned the certification of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu as some of the steps taken to ensure total safety in the system.
He further said that FAAN was installing runway 18L/36R airfield lighting system at the Lagos Airport, while the domestication of human capacity development and recurring expenses like training are also given attention by the agency.
Also, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation has said there is no going back on the formation of a new national carrier for Nigeria by the Federal Government.
Speaking at the same event, Sirika who was represented at the occasion by Engr. Akin Olateru, the Commissioner of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) insisted the establishment of the new national airline would stop the country’s over-reliance on crude oil and boost its productivity.
According to Sirika, the government was making an effort to move the country away from a mono-cultural economy and create jobs for the teeming populace.
Apart from the establishment of a national carrier for the country, which would tackle the challenges, Sirika also said that the government was also developing aerotropolis, cargo agro allied airport terminals, airports concession of airports, while also encouraging the establishment of an independent Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility that will serve the maintenance demand of aircraft in the country and the entire West African region.
He, however, said that the MRO would be done through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, using the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.
