Transportation

NCAA Approves Commencement of Flights from Ekiti Cargo Airport

By Web News 597

By Ayodeji Quazim

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has approved the commencement of non-scheduled flight operations at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, EAICA, in Ado-Ekiti. 

According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode in Ado Ekiti, private jets and chartered flights will begin operations under Visual Flight Rules, VFR, during daylight hours at the airport from the 15th of this month to the 15th of June next year. 

In a letter addressed to Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, and signed by NCAA Acting Director General, Captain Chris Najomo, the agency stated that the six-month approval is aimed at enabling the validation of pending compliance findings and rectifying outstanding corrective action items. 

Governor Oyebanji in his reaction, expressed satisfaction with the NCAA’s decision, describing it as a validation of the state’s investment in the airport project. 

He emphasized the potential of the facility to boost Ekiti State’s socioeconomic development by improving accessibility and enhancing the region’s agro-allied export capacity. 

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Labour

Strike: DG NCAA Pleads with Aviation Workers

By Web News 377

The Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu has appealed to the National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE to shelve its proposed strike planned for August 16.

NUATE had based its decision to embark on the industrial action on the poor remuneration of employees of the Aviation Security (AvSec) and Logistics Sub-Sector.

In a letter addressed to the union, the Director General, Civil Aviation DGCA, Captain Nuhu, asked the union for a week’s extension to address the issue raised by them.

“This will create an opportunity for the Authority to intervene in this dispute and with a view to finding lasting solutions to the issues raised by NUATE. A meeting will be called with the union, private security firms and the airlines”.

He added, “You may wish to note the precarious situation of the aviation industry as such we must all collaborate to avoid making matters worse for all stakeholders”.

General Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Ocheme Aba, who confirmed the receipt of the DGCA’s plea for an extension said, members had been asked to stay action on the strike, which was expected to commence this afternoon.

He stated that this development would have been avoided if the union’s demand had been met after over two years on the matter.

On Tuesday, members of the union in AvSec and Logistics Sub-Sector were directed to embark on a total withdrawal of services indefinitely from August 16, over unfair remuneration.

In a statement the union had said with the current salary levels as low as N30,000 a month for graduates, there was no gain in saying that AvSec employment in Nigeria was nothing other than a slave labour camp and had done everything possible to resolve the lingering crisis of extreme impoverishment of employees of Aviation Security (AvSec) and logistics sub-sector of the aviation industry in Nigeria, but to no avail.

FRCN Abuja/Adetutu Adetule

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Transportation

NCAA Alerts Airlines Over Hazardous Weather

By Web News 582

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has advised Pilots and Airline Operators to exercise caution over hazardous weather in dry season.

This warning was contained in an Advisory Circular (AC) with reference no AC: NCAA-AEROMET – 34 initiated by the Directorate of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) addressed to all Pilots and Airline Operators and signed by the Director General, Capt. Musa Nuhu dated 19th December, 2022.

The Advisory circular is sequel to the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) which reported that cessation of rainfall and weather associated with Dry Season in Nigeria from late December 2022 to March/April 2023.

Hence, this AC is intended to alert pilots about nature of weather associated with dry season in Nigeria ranging from light/moderate to severe dust haze and sometimes early morning fog which can sometimes reduce the horizontal visibility to below the aerodrome operating minima.

Channels TV / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Transportation

Airline Operators Make Case on 5 Percent Fuel Surcharge

By Web News 640

As a move to forestall a backlash and total shutdown of airline operations in the country, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has called for the immediate removal of the five per cent fuel surcharge collected by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. The airlines body lamented that the rise in aviation fuel, also known as Jet A1, has greatly increased their operational cost to over 130 per cent, adding that the need to remove the fuel surcharge could not be overemphasized.

But, NCAA’s spokesperson, Mr Sam Adurogboye, in a swift reaction, stated that there was a misconception about the fuel surcharge, saying it was not remitted to the regulatory agency but to Federal Government’s coffers.

“The Federal Government asked us to collect the money on their behalf and we remit to them. NCAA’s 5 per cent on TSC and Cargo Sales Charge, CSC, is not airlines that credit the fund but passengers.

“Whatever is their airfare, we add 5 per cent to it. Before now, we collected this surcharge from passengers directly, but the airlines requested to assist us in collecting it to remove delays at the airport.

“The 5 per cent fuel surcharge was introduced by the Federal Government as a way of raising funds to fight insecurity. So if the letter is sent to NCAA, we will deliver their message to the Federal Government.”

However, a letter signed by AON President, Abdulmunaf Yunusa, and addressed to the Director-General, NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, said AON wishes to seek the kind approval of fuel surcharge as an ameliorative measure to cushion the effect of the continuous increase in the exorbitant price of Jet-Al on airline operations in the country.

“In addition to the crippling effect of intermittent shortages of Jet A-1, the price has risen from N200 per litre in February 2022 to over N780 today. This has greatly increased the operational cost of airlines by well over 130 per cent, yet airlines are unable to increase fares and as well suffer from the unavailability of foreign exchange to conduct their operations.

“In order to forestall a backlash and total shutdown of the system, airlines are hoping to resort to an introduction of a fuel surcharge of between 25 per cent and 40 per cent of NUC as a way of offsetting the additional burden brought about by increased fuel cost, bearing in mind that jet fuel accounts for about 40 per cent of total operational expenses.”

Vanguard/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko

Transportation

Aviation Unions Suspend Proposed Strike

By Web News 567

The planned industrial action by aviation unions on the non-implementation of the New minimum wage and release of the approved Condition of Service has been suspended.

Unions in the industry last week had threatened to ground flight operations in the country with the withdrawal of their services nationwide from today, February 8 if their request were not granted.

The suspension was announced in a communique jointly signed by the Ministers of Aviation, Labour and leadership of the five aviation unions after a meeting held on Monday in Abuja.

In the communique, it was agreed that on the matters of the minimum wage and consequential adjustment, the National Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission, NSIWC should issue a Service of Wide Circular informing all organisations in the public and private sectors that they are bound to implement the wage and adjustment.

While the Ministry of Aviation is to do the same to all agencies under its supervision, requesting them to implement it without further delay and clarify that the payment became effective from April 18, 2019, when the minimum wage was signed into law.

It also adds that those that have exited the system during the period to date would also be paid arrears.

It was also agreed that the financial aspect for the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA and Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA will be resolved by the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) by the third week of February as it concerns the approval and release of the reviewed conditions of service while that for FAAN has been released since 2019 but there were issues which were observed and have been forwarded to the Ministry.

For the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, the communique notes that the financial implication of the CoS has been approved by the PCS and the implementation process has been concluded except for hazard allowances which would be reconsidered by the NSWIWC on a sectorial level.

At the end of the meeting, it was unanimously agreed that by March 31, 2022, the Ministry of Aviation must ensure the approval, release and implementation of the reviewed CoS for all the workers in the agencies under the aviation ministry.

At the meeting from the unions’ side were; the President, National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), Abednego Galadima, National President of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Illitrus Ahmadu, National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ben Nnabue, National President of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Kabir Gusau and the National President of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service and Technical Employees (AUPCTRE), Benjamin Anthony.

While from the government side in attendance were, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Labour and Aviation, the chairman of the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), representatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations (TUSIR), Budget Office of the Federation and the Head of Civil Service.

Frcn, Abuja

Transportation

NIS, NCAA, Reach Agreement on Improved Passengers’ Clearance

By Web News 949

In line with the global best practices, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, have resolved to form a synergy to implement a Single Window Border Operation (SWBO) at the nation’s international airports.

This is contained in a statement by the Deputy Comptroller of NIS and the National Spokesman of the Service, DCI James Sunday on Thursday explained that it was to facilitate a secured international travels environment.

The statement notes that the arrangement targeted at facilitating ease and seamless passengers’ clearance without compromising national security has been sealed by both the Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede, MFR and the Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Musa Nuhu.

It adds that the equipment is to be combined with the Migration Information Data Analysis System, MIDAS, being operated by the NIS for collection of information and control of entry.

Adedayo Adelowo