Aviation
Nigeria’s in-bound air passenger traffic sustained on Ebola containment
LAGOS-Nigeria’s timely containment of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which has attracted huge commendation from the international community, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) is paying off, as air passenger traffic into and also out of the country’s airports has been sustained, despite the outbreak of the disease in July.
The disease has however crippled air travel business in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, where a total of about 1,400 deaths have been recorded since the recent outbreak, leading to the cancellation of as much as 216 of the 590 monthly international flights scheduled to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Official Airline Guide (OAG), an airline data provider says.
However, with only five deaths recorded in Nigeria, including the late Patrick Sawyer (the index case) who imported the deadly disease into the country, analysts observe that inbound passenger traffic has been sustained, indication confidence from the international community, regarding the country’s prompt and proper response to the EVD incident.
“We are yet to feel any significant impact of the dreaded Ebola disease in the industry,” the country manager of a popular international airline, who preferred anonymity, told to our reporter. He further said that though many airlines have suspended operations to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which are much more afflicted by EVD, the flow of passengers into Nigeria has remained unaltered.
Despite warnings and explanations by WHO and other health experts, that the risk of travelers in the same flight contracting the deadly EVD remains very low because it can only be transferred through body fluids or secretions such as blood, sweat, urine and saliva and is not airborne, about one-third of international flights to the three most hit West African countries have been cancelled in the past one month.
Kola Olayinka, country commercial manager, British Airways, in response to questions from BusinessDay, doused any apprehension of flight cancellation to Nigeria, stating that the country is yet to be referred to as an Ebola-nation, considering the aggressive approach of the Federal Government to contain the disease.
Olayinka said that after the late Sawyer gained access into the country through the airport, all hands have been on deck to ensure such a scenario is not repeated.
This he explained, has led to the installation of scanning equipment at some sections of the airports, to allow officials thoroughly examine passengers coming into the country.
Just last week, the government of the United States donated equipment worth $5,000 to help boost screening capacity at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos.
The new items include infrared non-contact thermometers and face shields. An infrared thermometer is a portable handheld device with the ability to measure body temperature of in and out- bound passengers.
Joff Hawkins, US Consul-General in Nigeria, presenting the equipment, expressed satisfaction with the timely response of the Nigerian Government to the contagious disease, since its importation into the country by Patrick Sawyer about a month ago.
Meanwhile, South Africa Airways is set to increase its flight frequency between Lagos and Johannesburg from seven to eight times per week.
This, the firm explained, is a direct response to increasing demand from passengers for its services, and also in line with its mandate to draw the footprint of integrating Africans within the continent.
Aaron Munetsi, regional general manager for Africa & Middle East, South Africa Airways, countered any notion of the carrier suspending its services to Nigeria, explaining that the airline remains pleased with efforts of the government to contain the disease.
On the efforts of the airline to ensure it does not in anyway help spread the virus, Munetsi confirmed that the carrier does not currently fly to any of the countries seriously hit by Ebola.
He also revealed that since the disease broke out, the airline has engaged its staff in several training programmes on how best to ensure passengers are adequately protected while on board.
“Our staff have been trained to ensure passengers do not transit when they are sick, infact they have been mandated to report any sick person trying to board the flight to appropriate authorities,” he said, adding that as part of the carrier’s protective measures, staff in direct contact with passengers from the severely hit countries use protective measures such as gloves to protect themselves from any possible infection.
BUSINESSDAY-
Emirates Airlines has announced plan to resume flight operations to Nigerian airports on October 1, 2024, after a two-year hiatus.
The news was shared by the airline on its verified X handle on Thursday.
It stated, “We’re back Nigeria! We’ll be resuming services to Lagos from 1 October 2024, and we can’t wait to offer unrivalled connectivity to Dubai and beyond to over 140 cities.”
The development was hinted at earlier by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Keyamo disclosed that he met with the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stated that during the meeting, Al-Shamsi handed him a correspondence from Emirates Airlines confirming the flight resumption date.
The Minister wrote “Yesterday (On Tuesday), I paid a working visit to the Ambassador of the UAE to Nigeria, His Excellency, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi at the UAE Embassy in Abuja.
“He handed me a correspondence from the Emirates Airline indicating a definite date of their resumption of flights to Nigeria. That date will be formally announced by Emirates Airlines in a matter of days.”
The announcement signifies another step taken by the Nigerian government to reinstate flight operations between Nigeria and the UAE.
In November 2023, Minister Keyamo had announced that Emirates Airlines would soon disclose the exact date of their return to Nigerian skies.
The flight suspension between the two nations had been amidst a broader diplomatic dispute, primarily concerning the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
Visa restrictions further exacerbated the situation, impacting numerous Nigerian migrants and tourists, given the UAE’s popularity as a destination.
Recall that Emirates Airlines suspended its flights to Nigeria in 2022 due to challenges in repatriating funds trapped in the country.
Despite a meeting in September 2023 between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, where there were rumors that the UAE had lifted its visa ban on Nigerian travelers, the ban still stands.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga later clarified that the UAE had not lifted the visa restrictions on Nigerians.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken action by suspending the permits of three private jet operators due to their involvement in commercial flights.
Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, issued this suspension during a briefing to all airlines on Tuesday.
Additionally, Najomo ordered a re-evaluation of all PNCF permits within a 72-hour timeframe.
The head of the NCAA stated that Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, had instructed the discontinuation of private jets’ commercial use in 2023.
Despite this directive, the operators persisted in their commercial activities.
Najomo said “Subsequently, in March 2024, the NCAA had issued a stern warning to holders of the permit for non commercial flights, PNCF, against engaging in the carriage of passenger cargo or mail for hire and reward.
“The Authority had also deployed its officials to monitor activities of private jets at terminals across the airports in Nigeria.
“As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators have been found to be involved in violation of the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.
“In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators.”
Minister Festus Keyamo has urged the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State, to create new solutions that can speed up the training of skilled air traffic controllers.
This call comes as Africa anticipates a need for 4,203 new air traffic controllers by the year 2037.
The minister made this statement on Wednesday during the 34th IFATAC Africa and Middle East Regional meeting in Abuja.
Addressing the gathering, the minister noted that the goal of training 4,203 new air traffic controllers aligns with the projection from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He further affirmed the ministry’s commitment to offering full support to NCAT, ensuring it not only meets but surpasses its mandated duties and roles.
He said “ICAO projects that by the year 2037, Africa will require 4,203 new air traffic controllers. The onus rests on the Aviation College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) to develop innovative ideas solutions to accelerate the training of new and proficient air traffic controllers.
The minister, represented by acting director Michael Chiko from Air Safety and Administration, highlighted the rapid evolution of the air traffic control profession.
He stated “The profession of air traffic control has evolved rapidly, transitioning from simple flag signalling to sophisticated technologies. This evolution facilitates management of the surging number of aircraft traversing our
skies daily.
“As a vital, indispensable component of air safety, air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic. Therefore, I am not unaware of the critical role you play and invariably, the heavy burden you bear.
“This burden is compounded by increased air traffic, workforce shortages, technological shifts; necessitating rigorous training regimes.
“More so, with the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles, reshaping dynamics and challenging the norm, it is thus paramount to prepare for the future and indeed Nigeria like other countries must prepare for the future.” he added
During the event, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok, representing Engr. Mohammed Odunowo, the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), emphasized the relevance of the 34th IFATCA Africa and Middle East Regional meeting’s theme, titled ‘Shaping the Future: Trends and Insights On ATC Training for Tomorrow’.
Pwajok highlighted the significance of this theme, especially as air traffic control commemorates 100 years since its inception.
He suggested examining the historical perspective of air traffic control, tracing its origins from Croydon airport a century ago to its present form in modern airports like Dubai, Istanbul, JFK, Charles De Gaulle, among others.
This historical comparison aims to provide insights into the potential trajectory of the future air traffic control system over the next century.
He added “It is obvious that the future air traffic management system will be characterised by extensive application of automation, digitization and artificial intelligence.”
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