It is with trepidation that the news got to the industry that NICON group has bought Virgin Nigeria, considering the calamitous entry of the group some years ago through the liquidated EAS airlines, which has prompted staff of EAS airline to go to court seeking redress for unpaid salaries and allowances. Should the affected workers continue to wait for the judicial process or go for a quick regulatory intervention since NICON has returned to the industry through Virgin Nigeria?
Luckily, Virgin Nigeria is not listed on the Stock Exchange, the share price would have taken a drastic nosedive with that announcement based on that sad experience, coupled with sole –owner- manager syndrome that has bedeviled our domestic carriers which made almost all of them fail the NCAA financial audit with accompanying crippling debt, that has been detrimental to profitability and necessary public finance or public support in coveting critical public expenditure travel.
In welcoming the group back to the industry, they need to understand the new dynamics as exemplified by the airline, which is the impeccable systems, processes and management in place that needs some air of freedom in order to continue to maintain, sustain and retain the necessary benchmark put in place such as IAOSA certification, IATA&AFRAA membership, seamless electronic ticketing e.t.c, which has made the airline, a willing bride of foreign airlines.
It is not Uhuru for the carrier except necessary running funds are immediately injected, ownership expanded to reflect the national carrier status of its founders, a good replacement for Capt Olumide if he cannot be convinced to stay while efforts are geared towards converting the aircraft options to firm delivery.
Anything short of this will make us a laughing stock in the Virgin empire and beyond.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
STOWAWAYS NOT A NIGERIAN PROBLEM ALONE
The recent but damnable stowaway Late Emeka Okechukwu Okeke, a Nigerian on a Delta Airlines flight from Lagos to Atlanta, has once again underscored the need for airlines to work with the airport authorities to strengthen security surrounding airports and aircraft.
Stowaways generally are people who enjoy a free ride who may not get to there destination alive, because they are ignorant of the technology and the conditions in the plane, and they tend to be pretty desperate to achieve their self desires.
They also do not understand the risk being undertaken, because temperatures in wheel-wells during short flights may sustain life, on long flights that leads to severe hypothermia and acute hypoxia which is potentially fatal.
Stowaways, generally pose no security threat to aircraft, but the fact that they have been able to gain access to planes means there are loopholes in security around aircraft and airport perimeters which can be blocked. It’s generally agreed that, the security of an aircraft is only as good as the airport out of which it operates, and airlines do not have much control over this, while another school of thought says airports and airlines are to blame for security breaches, which probably is the reason airlines are fined heavily by immigration or other government agencies for stowaways found on board whether dead or alive. The airlines are made to foot all related bills such as funeral, medical, feeding, transportation, and related fines.
If a stowaway can get into the aircraft, whenever that occurred, that says a lot about security procedures of that airport and airline, with recent heightened security. A stowaway simply tells us that if you can do it with a body, you could do it with an explosive. Pilot and other personnel conduct aircraft checks for international trips as much as two hours before takeoff, raising the prospect that the stowaway climbed aboard after the landing gear was examined on the ground, therefore the collaborators are within the airside of the airport.
It is not a Nigerian problem but a universal one, on the 7th of June 2005, a man's leg and part of his torso fell from a South African jetliner onto a New York home as the plane prepared to land at John F. Kennedy Airport. The plane was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Dakar in Senegal. When it landed at JFK Airport, more of his remains were found inside the wheel well of the aircraft. Cargo airlines are not spared by the stowaways, in an incident involving a cargo plane, a man believed to be an Indian national was found in one of six passenger seats an hour into the seven-hour flight from the Middle East to the Netherlands, the aircraft had to make an air return with the usual concomitants which are delay and expenses being incurred by the airline.
Also information on the web-sites of United States owned Federal Aviation Authority shows 75 stowaway attempts since 1947, on 65 flights worldwide with 55 fatalities, therefore airlines operating international flights in conjunction with our international gateways must overhaul security and conduct background checks on airside employees who are usually the willing accomplice or culprit.
Stowaways generally are people who enjoy a free ride who may not get to there destination alive, because they are ignorant of the technology and the conditions in the plane, and they tend to be pretty desperate to achieve their self desires.
They also do not understand the risk being undertaken, because temperatures in wheel-wells during short flights may sustain life, on long flights that leads to severe hypothermia and acute hypoxia which is potentially fatal.
Stowaways, generally pose no security threat to aircraft, but the fact that they have been able to gain access to planes means there are loopholes in security around aircraft and airport perimeters which can be blocked. It’s generally agreed that, the security of an aircraft is only as good as the airport out of which it operates, and airlines do not have much control over this, while another school of thought says airports and airlines are to blame for security breaches, which probably is the reason airlines are fined heavily by immigration or other government agencies for stowaways found on board whether dead or alive. The airlines are made to foot all related bills such as funeral, medical, feeding, transportation, and related fines.
If a stowaway can get into the aircraft, whenever that occurred, that says a lot about security procedures of that airport and airline, with recent heightened security. A stowaway simply tells us that if you can do it with a body, you could do it with an explosive. Pilot and other personnel conduct aircraft checks for international trips as much as two hours before takeoff, raising the prospect that the stowaway climbed aboard after the landing gear was examined on the ground, therefore the collaborators are within the airside of the airport.
It is not a Nigerian problem but a universal one, on the 7th of June 2005, a man's leg and part of his torso fell from a South African jetliner onto a New York home as the plane prepared to land at John F. Kennedy Airport. The plane was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Dakar in Senegal. When it landed at JFK Airport, more of his remains were found inside the wheel well of the aircraft. Cargo airlines are not spared by the stowaways, in an incident involving a cargo plane, a man believed to be an Indian national was found in one of six passenger seats an hour into the seven-hour flight from the Middle East to the Netherlands, the aircraft had to make an air return with the usual concomitants which are delay and expenses being incurred by the airline.
Also information on the web-sites of United States owned Federal Aviation Authority shows 75 stowaway attempts since 1947, on 65 flights worldwide with 55 fatalities, therefore airlines operating international flights in conjunction with our international gateways must overhaul security and conduct background checks on airside employees who are usually the willing accomplice or culprit.
WHAT THE NEW NIGERIAN AVIATION MINISTER CAN DO IN A YEAR
In the short period available to the new minister, we would like to see her complete the concession program of various airports under the bundling option. She should also set up an independent committee to look into all other concessions and commercial agreements within the airport vicinity nationwide. This is to ensure improved revenue generation for government, which will help sustain and maintain unviable airports.
It is a norm to see the government reshuffling at the centre and the new minister doing same with agencies under his supervision. Therefore, the minister needs to look at some nepotistical appointments and recycling of tired professional, which is inimical to the growth and aspirations of core professionals in the agencies. In the past it was limited to directors and above, the trend changed for the worse in this democratic dispensation whereby middle cadre staff and contractors are forced on the agencies bloating staff strength and overall cost of operation.
For the service providers, NAMA should be corporatized not privatized just like their counterpart in South Africa. It will improve service delivery, breed internal stability with enduring professionalism, facilitate quick collection of fees and other charges owed it. The organization is trapped in government bureaucracy and political caprices.
Also the government owned but obviously comatose Sky power Catering needs a new life. Internationally recognized catering firms should be invited to revamp it, while efforts must be geared towards having a befitting hanger and flying schools spread across the country. This will reduce capital flight, generate employment, improve and expand the professional market.
The minister should look at the local airlines that are either shrinking or vanishing, we must stop the rot by addressing fundamental issues such as ownership, management and size. In the developed countries it is initiated and privately driven while being supported by the government. For developing countries like ours it is initiated, driven by the government while being supported by the carriers.
The laboratory equipment that will speed up the investigative process of the Accident Investigation Bureau was luckily included in this year’s budget. It should be implemented to aid the organization’s long and often times unending investigation and not returned to the treasury as unspent.
The new minister should be an ultra loyalist of Nigerian carriers and must refrain from showing bias for any foreign carrier.KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and of late Lufthansa are airlines that benefited from the compromised leadership of the ministry. She must guard against the continuous revving of the engine without moving, which was a hallmark of the last administration.
It is a norm to see the government reshuffling at the centre and the new minister doing same with agencies under his supervision. Therefore, the minister needs to look at some nepotistical appointments and recycling of tired professional, which is inimical to the growth and aspirations of core professionals in the agencies. In the past it was limited to directors and above, the trend changed for the worse in this democratic dispensation whereby middle cadre staff and contractors are forced on the agencies bloating staff strength and overall cost of operation.
For the service providers, NAMA should be corporatized not privatized just like their counterpart in South Africa. It will improve service delivery, breed internal stability with enduring professionalism, facilitate quick collection of fees and other charges owed it. The organization is trapped in government bureaucracy and political caprices.
Also the government owned but obviously comatose Sky power Catering needs a new life. Internationally recognized catering firms should be invited to revamp it, while efforts must be geared towards having a befitting hanger and flying schools spread across the country. This will reduce capital flight, generate employment, improve and expand the professional market.
The minister should look at the local airlines that are either shrinking or vanishing, we must stop the rot by addressing fundamental issues such as ownership, management and size. In the developed countries it is initiated and privately driven while being supported by the government. For developing countries like ours it is initiated, driven by the government while being supported by the carriers.
The laboratory equipment that will speed up the investigative process of the Accident Investigation Bureau was luckily included in this year’s budget. It should be implemented to aid the organization’s long and often times unending investigation and not returned to the treasury as unspent.
The new minister should be an ultra loyalist of Nigerian carriers and must refrain from showing bias for any foreign carrier.KLM, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and of late Lufthansa are airlines that benefited from the compromised leadership of the ministry. She must guard against the continuous revving of the engine without moving, which was a hallmark of the last administration.
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