By Dickson Omobola
Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has raised the alarm over the increasing number of Air Operator Certificates, AOCs, being issued to new airlines, saying existing aviation infrastructure may not be sufficient to accommodate the expected growth in aircraft.
Spokesperson for the AON, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, who welcomed increased competition in the industry, said the concern was not about the emergence of new airlines but whether the infrastructure needed to support their operations was available.
Okonkwo, also the Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, spoke at the 30th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, LAAC, themed: ‘Towards Sustainable Aviation Industry: Balancing Government Revenue Demands with Sector Growth,’ held in Lagos.
An AOC is the regulatory approval the NCAA grants commercial aircraft operators to conduct commercial flight operations. Under Part 9 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, Nig. CARs, the certification process comprises five stages: pre-application, formal application, document evaluation, demonstration and inspection, and certification.
Some of the airlines granted AOCs in recent times include Binani Air Global Services, Enugu State-owned airline, Enugu Air, MCM Jets Limited, 3 Horizons Limited, K-Impex, Pioneer Airlines and Rocket Aviation Services.
He said more AOCs were still expected to be issued before the end of the year, adding that the development could further increase pressure on existing infrastructure.
His words: “More AOCs are being given and there will be many more, maybe before the end of the year about five to six will still be out. The more the merrier, it is not a problem. But where are the infrastructures to accommodate aircraft that will be flying? The biggest challenge facing the industry today is the number of AOCs that are coming out. It took me about two or three years to get my AOC.
“Some of these AOCs are coming out now in six months. I do not know, and I stand to be corrected. There is a speed about how they are coming out. If these people are getting the aircraft very soon, the ground is already full. I do not know if we still have space to fly above.
“I am not being jealous of competition because the more competitive we are, the healthier we become. I am calling for us to start thinking about it, to start discussing it, to start engaging those who are involved for the interest of the industry.”
Sharing his thoughts on the issue at a separate forum, acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Akwa Ibom state-owned airline, Ibom Air, George Uriesi, agreed that the infrastructure had been stretched.
He stated: “He’s made a very important point that we should pay attention to. At the moment, infrastructure is choked already. With the growth plans of a few airlines we already know about, not to mention the new ones we hear are coming on board, the capacity limitation is real. It says to us that there’s need for urgent planning and execution in arrears. Otherwise, gridlock is not far ahead and that would mean capping the peak at one or two airports and introducing strictly enforced slot systems, way ahead of time. By this, I mean we do not yet have the levels of traffic to require strict slot management, but have to resort to it due to system capacity limitations.”
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