NCAT boss harps on provision of funds for aviation survival

By Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo

Governments and donor institutions have been advised to provide funds to ensure the survival and business continuity of key stakeholders of the aviation industry as recommended by the African Aviation Industry Group (AAIG) in 2020.

The rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology Zaria (NCAT) Capt Alkali Modibo who made this call in Lagos said without sounding very conservative, the federal government via the ministry of aviation has been investing in standardizing infrastructure across the various airports before even thinking of privatization, partnership or concession.

Modibo explained that aviation operational adequacy and efficiency will go a long way in boosting air travel, which is still the preferred and most safe option of mobility that has enormous impact on economic development in any nation, especially where the other options like speed rails are under-developed.

“It will be unfair not to mention, here that the Ministry of Aviation under the dynamic leadership of the Honorable Minister, Distinguished Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika. This Government has and will continue to upgrade infrastructure and services to the Nigerian aviation populace, in terms of security, safety and comfort of aviation end users”.

According to the NCAT boss, a number of measures are adopted world-wide to mitigate the major challenges the aviation industry face, perchance Nigeria may want to adopt some. Among them are mergers and aircraft leasing to help address the issues of competitiveness and financial capacities, standardization of sanitation and safety issues and norms to increase customer confidence and the need to grow cargo which has proven to be more resilient if compared to passenger traffic.

“Of course this is an agenda of the present administration,  to establish enough cargo airports at strategic areas to transport goods and foods to other destinations”

Modibo noted that the Minister has achieved a positive milestone within the past six years, which has made him almost the most successful minister of this government.

“For us in the training sector we have to upgrade our curriculum in tune with the current situation of heightened operations, security, sanitation and most importantly the digital transformation of the industry. We need to look deeply into the changes which the aviation value chain is undergoing to enable us design the training requirements that will critically produce the workforce a post-pandemic aviation industry will require”

According to the rector, the aviation industry will require a well-orchestrated recovery plan supported by the government and external agencies to overcome its current challenges adding that it was time for the continued financial support for the industry through direct cash injections, provision of credits, offer of deferrals and discounts on charges and most especially concessions.

Modibo noted that globally, airlines were facing a ’throat-cutting’ competition especially from low-cost airlines amidst dwindling passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic stressing that the pandemic which affected the financial capacity and operational services of airlines was worst in Africa.

He said the challenges have already exposed the over capacities of certain airlines abroad, as it has been estimated that nearly half of Africa’s 7 million aviation and tourism industry-related jobs have been lost in year 2020.

“The airlines continue to face unpredictable cost, due to the devaluation of the local currency against the international currencies and irregular availability of aviation fuel, these among others, add up to the dreaded operational cost and technical input problems. As a result, operational services deteriorated when normal flight services were resumed, followed by frequent scheduled flight challenges and exorbitant ticket prices”