2013 is Year of Safer, Cheaper Air Business - Uriesi

George Uriesi is managing director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (Faan), a service organization statutorily charged to manage all Commercial Airports in Nigeria and provide service to both passenger and airlines
Uriesi is one of Nigeria’s best brains in the aviation sector with a career spanning more than 20 years both at home and abroad.
He spoke to peter ugwu on a wide range of issues

Faan’s Success in 2012 and Projection for 2013
So far, a lot of vision has been put in place. And we are hopeful of bountiful benefits of those efforts in 2013.

Our 2012 remodeling project went into a different gear, especially with the commissioning of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) in Lagos.

This year we hope that some of the other airports that have been completed will be commissioned. Benin for instance is already been used; Kano is completed and Yola is nearing completion.

 So, quite a number of them have been completed and we shall also step into the second phase which is another eleven airports.

Secondly, this year we are looking at the commencement of construction work of brand new airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

This is also to ensure that Nigerians have world class facilities at the airports. The intention is to develop those areas as international hubs.

We are also going to grow the cargo business by developing cargo airports. That is, designating airports-container cargo terminals.

That is to diversify the earnings of revenue, in such that airports that are designated as cargo will develop along that line.

For instance, in Kano, which is one of the designated areas, if there is a strong point in terms of vegetable, there will be refrigeration, markets, etc., that will be built alongside.

Discussions are on-going with the Chambers of Commerce to get market, so that such goods will be transported.

And if you look at oranges and pineapples, ours are of international standards, but right now it is the Philippines that are gaining more from the market internationally.

That is a window open to Nigeria, but yawning for development. But after our modalities processes, we should be able to be airfreight goods directly, whether it is from Aba, Enugu, Owerri, Ibadan or Ilorin.

That alone will generate a lot of activities instead of the present gluts that farms are left with their products harvested; they lose money and get discouraged.

It will not only open up the market, it will make the airports more sustainable, and create a value chain of economic activities, in such that the airport user, the airline will benefit. 

The farmer and the Youths will benefit also, because there will be employment generation.


Strategies in Place to Actualize the Objectives
First is the removal of tariffs in the passenger planes.

This strategy married with the Federal Ministry of Aviation master plan will definitely make it cheaper for domestic airlines to operate.

By implication it will boil down to cheaper ticket. Because there is no reason, whatsoever, with the intervention being put in place that an hour flight should cost N30, 000. It should come down to less than N10, 000, so that the common man can afford to fly.

Invariably, we are looking at what major components constitute high costs for the domestic airlines and those are the areas government is looking at.

And the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (Faan) is not leaving any stone unturned in the area of staff re-orientation, which formed part of the Aviation master Plan pursued by Princess Stella Oduah led aviation ministry.

Faan is spearheading a number of the reorientations, in terms of attitude to work, operation. So that with these new facilities there will be a new way of thinking, as regards passenger management, personnel relationship, security, safety, etc.

Those are issues that will be on the front-burner. However, the emphasis shall remain safety, safety, safety.


Developing New Airports Alongside the Remodeling Projects
There was a stipulated template as encapsulated by the Aviation Master Plan (AMP). And the master plan is such that Nigeria should take her place as the leading aviation nation in Africa.

It was also put in view that aviation should be a major economic earner. There are a lot of things that must be in place for us to realize those dreams.

That is why we are striving to ensure the infrastructures that have been going down for the last 30 years are rehabilitated.

For us to be taken serious worldwide, we must have facilities that meet up with international standards. Facilities must be in place for us to become a key player.

For instance, in terms of airplanes, there are certain planes that may not be able to land in our airports, because of their sizes or technologies in them.

That gives rise to the fact that we need to open up our frontiers and re-organise. We believe that with the expansion of some airports from passenger to cargo business there will be so much that the facilities will be optimally used.

Not only that, there is also the Aerotropolis project-developing cities around airports, and that will assist in trade facilitation.

How? Some passengers fly to Lagos for maybe one hour from Abuja and they spend about three hours to get to the Island.

But if there are facilities to do business here, there will be no need to do that. They can actually fly in, do their businesses and fly out; that is the new business model anywhere in the world.

 So, if you create the facilities, hotels, banking halls, conference centres, all within the airport environment, definitely, it will make the process more attractive. Those are the considerations we think make it mandatory that we provide more facilities on the ground than we have now.


Purchase 30 New Aircrafts for Operators
Well, it is a worthwhile project been handled by the Ministry of Aviation. Sometimes, I tend to explain to people about the project so they would get the big picture clearer.

However, the Federal Ministry of Aviation has the modalities and can only explain more on that.

At present, the Authority is focused on the reconstruction of 22 airports across the country as initiated by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.

So, I want to use this medium to dispel the rumour that it is Faan that is in-charge of the purchases. No, it is under the purview of the Ministry.


Committee on Disposal of Abandoned Aircrafts
We need to understand that the cases are actually in three categories. The ones that have cases in courts are been resolved by our legal department.

There are also the second stages where people just abandoned the aircrafts. We have contacted them through the Committee headed by Captain Henry Omeogu, director of Operations, Faan.

We are happy that the Committee has already made efforts towards explaining to some of the owners, who have eventually indicated interests to evacuate them.

The third category comprises of those who are willing to evacuate them but the aircrafts are tied to loans.

So, we are looking at strategies, but definitely as chairman of the Committee said, there will be no stopping us.

We are determined to ensure the abandoned aircrafts are moved out, because they constitute a danger, especially of bird strikes.

They provide shades that birds can hide in. although, we don’t want to create an alarm, but it is a danger.

On the other hand, it does not fit into the new image we want of world class facility. And the committee is ensuring that will be done immediately.


Stopping Airlines from Abandoning Aircrafts
Yes, we are actually looking at the possibilities. Usually, in other countries (like in America) there are airports in the desert that are designated for that.

When an airplane is getting aged or the operator wants to abandon it, you take it there. That is what we are also looking out.

There were actually one or two airports that were earmarked for that, but the rise in activities and awareness, there was a change of plans.

However, there will be designated areas far away from these areas for activities.


Relationship between Faan and Some Airport Concessionaire
Well, there are different relationships, depending on the concessionaires we are handling. There are those who out rightly took advantage of Faan and by implication, the commonwealth of the Nigerian people.

They were using agreements that were deliberately coined against Faan to their benefits. And that is being reviewed to the benefit of Nigerians. And those agenda are been vigorously pursued.

We are also happy that a lot of progress is being made. Nigerians are happy for it as well. There are other concessionaires that are not up and doing.

For instance, the cleaners - toilets are left unattended to. We concession it out, but because of the capacity of the company involved, we are having a backlash; if you go to some of the toilets and they are not well kept, there is a concessioner that ought to do that.

At the same time, to our numerous customers and clients, they would blame it on Faan. So, the managing director has already given them ultimatum to either meet up with the terms of agreement or they will be shown the way out.

There will be no compromise. We don’t believe that the old order (in operation) should be part of the operations in the new facilities.

Nigerian deserve the best, they are paying for it. To other concessioners that are operating along the terms of agreement, we encourage them, because Faan is a service provider and we will not shy away from providing enabling environment for the private sector to flourish, because the dream is let private sector handle most of these activities.


Level of ICT Inclusion In Airport Administration?
Information Communication Technology, ICT is aviation, just as aviation is ICT. There are a lot of efforts to improve on what is on ground, especially this year. We will recall the automation of our resources platform.

Of course, the world is going ICT and if we want to operate world standard airport system, we have no option than to align ourselves in the trend.

Our ICT inclusion is needful in the areas of human capital development, services, training and re-training.

Anybody who wants to be a serious player, not only in aviation, must not take ICT for granted, because every activity is affected. And that is why is on the forefront to ensure our system is ICT compliance.