Reopening of aviation sector: NCAA to submit plan to PTF on Wednesday

Nuhu made this known during a stakeholders’ forum  held over the weekend.

The chief regulator  of the aviation industry in Nigeria who however appealed to stakeholders especially airlines on the delay experienced at restarting the sector, said: “We are yet to get there but we are pretty close. The plan is that by Wednesday, we will submit our report to PTF. I reiterate, we are pretty close.”

Also in his reports at the forum, Chairman of NCAA’s Covid-19 Committee, Engr. Godwin Balang enumerated the guidelines control measures employed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)  towards restarting of the industry.

“We have to develop the guidelines on uncharted ground which is to issue regulations in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs); Issue guidelines to aviation industry and approve restart of aviation industry (in totality or at individual level).

Balang stated that the restart and recovery guidelines are based on 10 key principles which are to: Protect people in harmonized but flexible measures; work as one aviation team and show solidarity; ensure essential connectivity; actively manage safety, security and health related risks; make aviation public health measures work with aviation safety and security systems; strengthen public confidence; distinguish restart from recovery; support financial relief strategies to help the aviation industry; ensure sustainability and learn lessons to improve resilience.

He also gave the level of readiness of sector’s components – airlines, air navigation provider, ground handlers and meteorology among others as follow:  Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)  80 percent ready; Airlines (domestic) are 70 percent; Nigerian Meteorological Services (NIMET)  is also ready while domestic airports are at 57 percent.

The NCAA helmsman said the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is carrying bulk of the pressure and a lot of drastic efforts are being made.

“I can tell you that, because I know how hard they  are working. We have done well, we just have few efforts to make. Airports are the most critical parts of the value-chain.

“On the part of the NCAA, no Civil  Aviation Authority (CAA) is set-up to deal with a system that needs to shut down and restart. We need to get it done well. We are doing a mini-audit of the whole ecosystem at the same time. We do not need to have all the airlines, airports or the ground handlers ready before we restart the system. We are almost there.”

In their responses to the  Director General’s submission, the immediate past National President of the National Association Nigerian of Travel Agents (NANTA), Mr. Bernard Bankole pointed out the need to have spot checks in the industry.

“We need to have on the spot check in form of a dry-run. All the kiosks at the terminals needed to be rid of. We need to reduce the numbers of personnel at the terminals and we need to know what the ‘New Normal’ will look like. There should be a template. He also said the concession of the airports is necessary while we are going through the restart process,” he suggested.

Responding,  while the Director  General said, “Simulation at the airport will be decided in a couple of days” he, however, added that concesssion of the airports, “is ongoing and will be done.”

The current NANTA President, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye in her submission said NCAA should consider real time or animated video of the simulation of the new normal will look like.

While responding  to the request made by Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), through the  Chairman Captain Nogie Meggison  for a restart date to allow for  proper planning, the Director General said  the inability of the airlines to operate has put NCAA in a difficult situation. He noted that NCAA’s revenue has gone down by between 90 to 95 per cent, even as he added “We are almost ready.”

He however noted that since not all the airlines and airports are expected to be ready before the restart, he urged the airlines to exercise patient on the new restart, even as he insisted that NCAA would be held responsible if anything goes wrong.

He however assured them that the new date for the restart would be announced  during the week.

“The the proposed restart date will be made known. If the airports get it right, the airlines job will be made easier. The airlines that have disinfected their aircraft should show proof to NCAA. On the middle seats, we need to listen to the health authority, even though I do not support the middle seat regime. We are liasing with the health authority to get the best for the airlines. It is our interest that airlines start flying yesterday,” he said.

On his party, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu pleaded with the stakeholders and said the preparedness of the airports bother mostly on safety and security.

“Pease bear with us. It is primarily on safety and security issues. We need to improve on what we have. That is why we started training our personnel. On procurement, there are things you do not get on time. We will get drastic pace from (21st June 21, 2020 tomorrow. With the public enlightenment, we are working with NCAA.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Area Manager for West Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun after appreciating the NCAA on  transparency, announced the offer of free support training of to FAAN to  assist with their expertise.

“IATA has offered to support FAAN free of charge. This is so we can share with them best practices,” Fatokun disclosed,

Explaining the issue of middle seats regime, he said: “The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce (CART) report says when the flight is not full, you can space passengers. The CART does not say you have to make the middle seats empty. It does not solve the problem and not based on science. It is economically unviable”

Responding to IATA’s gesture, Yadudu said, “We have accepted their help and we are so grateful. We are even going to sign an agreement with IATA soon. This is timely”

On the question on when the regional and internal operations will take off after the restart for domestic operations, NCAA said: “The health authority will have a say on the international and the regional operations.”

The director  General of NCAA however concluded by pleading with the stakeholders to exercise little more patience as they are almost getting to end of the dark tunnel. “I want to plead with the airlines and others that we should exercise just little patience,” Nuhu pleaded.