The Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Mrs Olubunmni kuku has announced plans to establish magistrate courts in airport premises across the country to swiftly address violations of airport rules and anti-touting regulations.

The move is aimed at ensuring a safer and more comfortable environment for genuine airport users.

The MD FAAN, made the announcement during a meeting with heads of security agencies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.

The meeting was convened to brief airport stakeholders on recent developments, outline the authority’s strategic goals, and discuss ways to enhance passenger experience and facilitation.

Mrs. Kuku identified the presence of touts and loitering by members of the public as a major challenge to providing a comfortable experience for genuine airport users.

“There are people who have absolutely no business being at the airport, and they continue to create issues for us,” she said.

“We have an anti-touting taskforce, and as it is, we are going to start the prosecution onsite of those engaging in these illicit activities or loitering around the airport environment and harassing passengers. This doesn’t happen elsewhere around the world, and the airport should be a safe space.”

The MD/CE also addressed the issue of car hire operators violating processes and protocol, warning that such behavior would no longer be tolerated.

She emphasized the need to reduce manual baggage search at the international wing of the airport, proposing a process where baggage would be screened by machines, and security officials would view the contents in real-time, only pulling aside luggage that requires secondary screening.

Mrs Kuku said, “We have to streamline our efforts. We need to improve processes at the airport. This is the 21st century, and we must keep up with the times”.

She also announced that the Terminal C of the NAIA would be ready for use by December 2024, with plans to develop more international routes to take advantage of the underutilized International Terminal.

NAIA Military Airport Commander, Air Force Group Captain Abbas Hashim, thanked the MD/CE for convening the meeting and called for more regular meetings and better cooperation between the agencies and FAAN.

By James Aduku

The African aviation community is in mourning, following the death of the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of African Aviation Services, Nick Fadugba on Saturday week.

The death of the aviation impresario who has been variously described as gentle, humble, highly professional and public-spirited, was announced by African Aviation Services.

“It is with great sadness we announce that Nick Fadugba, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of African Aviation, recently died. The entire African Aviation family mourns his loss. On behalf of the whole Team, we extend our deepest sympathies to Nick’s family”.

Nick Fadugba established African Aviation Services (AAS) in 1990 with the pan-African vision of promoting aviation development throughout Africa. He believed that aviation could be a vital catalyst for Africa’s economic and social transformation. Since 1988, he provided a wide range of consultancy and advisory services to international aviation, finance and leasing organisations and to African Governments. He was also instrumental in fostering business relations between Africa and the international aviation community in critical areas such as Aviation Finance, Aircraft Leasing, Aircraft Maintenance, Air Safety and Aviation Training.

Nick had unique experience in aviation finance and aircraft leasing negotiation, arbitration and dispute resolution in Africa. Other areas of speciality included developing airline business plans; fleet planning; aircraft leasing and finance advisory services; airline route network development; market information research and analysis; reconciliation of aircraft leasing / finance accounts and debt recovery; negotiating acquisition of airport slots and air traffic rights; and establishing London Heathrow Airport operations for foreign airlines.

He was appointed an Interim Non-Executive Director to the Board of South African Airways on 9th December, 2020, and acted as Chairperson of SAA Technical until April, 2023. He was elected Chairman of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) in May, 2018, handing over the Chairmanship last year. He was a former elected Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA); a Launch Member of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) and Vice Chairman of its Safety and Training Committee; was Chief Advisor to the Association of African Aviation Training Organisations (AATO); a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAes), UK; a member of the Aviation Club of the UK; a member of the German Aviation Research Society (GARS); the European Aviation Club; the Institute of Directors (IOD), UK; the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT), USA; a Volunteer for Airlink, the international aviation charity, and a member of the ISTAT Scholarship Program for African Students. In 2021, he was elected as a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading Foundation (ISTAT Foundation) which was founded in 1994 to support individuals and institutions that promote the advancement of commercial aviation and humanitarianism. He worked on the ISTAT Foundation’s Grants Committee which manages fundraising and programming that meets the Foundation’s objectives. Nick helped pioneer international aviation conferences focusing on aviation finance, leasing, aircraft maintenance and aviation training, specifically tailored for Africa, providing a unique forum for African and international airlines, airports, aviation, finance and leasing organisations, industry regulators and Government officials to discuss key commercial, financial and regulatory issues affecting the African aviation industry and to seek practical solutions through mutually-beneficial co-operation. In 1990, he also helped pioneer aviation publishing in Africa with the launch of AFRICAN AVIATION, Africa’s Aviation Industry Journal, to promote the African aviation industry globally. For over 30 years Nick organised the Air Finance Africa Conference, the MRO Africa Conference, as well as other aviation events.

Background:

• Co-Chaired first ‘Air Finance’ Conference in Tokyo, Japan, in 1988 for Aircraft Lessors & Financiers.

• Co-Chaired European Air Transport Conference in London, in 1988, with UK Minister of Transport.

• Appointed by the Federal High Court of Nigeria as a Member of the Committee of Inspection in the Liquidation of Nigeria Airways (2004).

• Appointed Communication Adviser to the Secretary General, African Airlines Association (AFRAA) in 2002 with a mandate to further contribute to revamp and polish the image of the Association internationally.

• Invited as a Speaker or Moderator at numerous International Aviation Conferences organised by major bodies, including ICAO, IATA, ACI, AFRAA, AFCAC, US FAA, US NTSB, National Civil Aviation Authorities, GE Aviation and Embraer.

• Africa representative, Governing Board, International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), Montreal, Canada, an ICAO affiliate.

Nick has an MSc (Distinction), in Air Transport Planning & Management from the University of Westminster, London, UK and was the MSc Dissertation Prize Winner. He also held a Post-Graduate Diploma, Air Transport Management from Cranfield University, UK and a BSc (Honours) in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He attended Airport Economics and Finance Courses at the University of Westminster, London, UK as well as Regional and Low Cost Air Transport Courses, University of Westminster, London, UK. He also attended Boeing Leadership Seminars, Boeing Learning Center, USA.

Awards:

• In 2000, he was presented with a Plaque by the USA National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for ‘Outstanding Contribution and Service to Aviation Safety.’

• In December, 2003, he was presented with an Award by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) for “Outstanding Contribution to the African Aviation Industry” presented by then Head of State of Libya, Col. Muammar Gadaffi.

• In 2018, he was presented with an Award by the Aviation Round Table (ART), Nigeria, for “Invaluable Support and Contribution to the Upliftment of Aviation Safety in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.”

• In 2023, Nick was presented with a Certificate of Recognition for his “Extraordinary service and dedication to AATO” from the Association of African Aviation Training Organisations (AATO).

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has assured that Nigeria’s Airspace has attained total radar coverage and it’s safe for flight operations.

NCAA in a statement signed by Capt. Chris Najomo, Ag. Director General Civil Aviation said insinuations that the Nigerian airspace is insecure due to lack of coverage by Radar are untrue, baseless and unguarded.

“NCAA firmly aligns with the statement from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on the Total Radar Coverage Of Nigeria (TRACON)” it said.

“In furtherance to this, NCAA investigated two recent cases of violation of the prohibited flights zones – DNP4- in Abuja and established that both violations comprised of controlled flights in a controlled airspace, but strayed into restricted airspace as a result of adverse weather. NCAA can also confirm that NAMA had complete radar footages of the two violations with full details of the identities of the aircraft and operators involved. This was only made possible due to functional Primary and Secondary Surveillance Radars in Abuja” the NCAA explained.

The statement indicated that “similar installations are in Lagos, Kano and Port-Harcourt.

The Authority in keeping with its regulatory responsibilities issued an All Operators Letter (AOL DGCA/021/24) wherein the term ‘unknown aircraft’was used as reported to NCAA which is the normal security terminology. However, as explained above, investigations revealed NAMA had complete footages and details of the aircraft that entered the prohibited flight zone.The writer, obviously, not conversant with the technical operations of radar systems ought to have simply consulted the right professionals to be educated accordingly” the NCAA qerried.

NCAA further clarified that, “the Primary Surveillance Radar alone only identifies aircraft as moving targets without aircraft identity. The Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar (MSSR), on the other hand,which forms a major component of the TRACON, is the equipment that allows for identification of any aircraft equipped with ATC Mode ‘S’transponder.

The requirement for all aircraft flying in controlled airspace to have serviceable ATC transponders in an international standard that Nigeria ensures strict adherence to. This requirement derived from Annex 6 to the Convention on International Aviation is documented in Part 7 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations” the statement explained.

“This, therefore, makes it a violation of the regulations, and indeed a security breach, for any aircraft to put this system off while flying in controlled airspace, and such action would attract appropriate sanctions in accordance with NCAA’s enforcement procedures, including possible criminal referral” the statement further clarified.

“The statement further reads: “On the issue of welfare of Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs), NCAA had, only recently, intervened in a face-off between ATCOs and NAMA on the need for improved remuneration and working conditions for ATCOs. Expectedly, in aligning with the Minister’s five-point agenda on capacity development, NCAA is extending this drive to other aviation professionals.

“As regards the improvement of Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure, Nigeria’s Radar coverage is being backed up with five additional MSSR stations at Obubbra, Ilorin, Talata Mafara, Maiduguri and Numan to augment the four existing Radar centers to achieve total coverage of the country. This is also in line with the Honourable Minister’s five-point agenda on infrastructure and fully supported by NCAA’s oversight in ensuring installed infrastructure continually deliver the desired output.

“It is worth noting that such upgrade is normal global practice when dealing with any electronics system. These systems must be updated from time to time since technology is not static, and the Authority through its continuous oversight has not found NAMA wanting in this regard. “Thus,NAMA in coordination with the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development is working on system upgrade of the Communication,Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure.

“Finally, the NCAA wishes to unequivocally assure the public that there is no cause for alarm as everything necessary is being undertaken to ensure safe and secure air navigation in Nigeria’s airspace.”