SAHCO Expands Fleet

 

SAHCO Expands Fleet With Modern Aviation Ground Handling Equipment to Boost Operation 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) has announced expansion of her fleet with an ultra-modern Aviation Ground Handling Equipment of Universal Loaders, Tractors, Container Dollies, Canopied Passenger Steps, Conveyor Belt loaders and Air Starter Units.

Mrs Uansohia Vanessa Adeola, spokeswoman for the company disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, stating that the new Universal loaders manufactured by French Ground Support Equipment (GSE) maker, AirMarrel in France are 7,000 tonnes lower and main deck loaders. The GSEs are well-matched with the latest compatible standards and can be used to load both pallets and containers. Also, the loaders are equipped with Aircraft Approach sensors that minimizes accident or damage to the Aircraft body by restricting contact.

Her words, “explained that the three ruggedly built GSEs also known as E-LAM 7,000 are fitted with tier 4 Deutz engines and the capacity to travel long distances that makes them compatible for Nigerian terrains and long distanced tarmac. The E-LAM 7,000s can similarly be used for loading at both the front Cargo hold and at the rear Cargo hold.

“In addition, SAHCO acquired three Air Starter Units (ASU) equipment from Guinault, a GSE manufacturer resident in France. ACUs are used to start an aircraft’s engine while it is on ground. The ASUs acquired by SAHCO can power both wide body and narrow body aircrafts. They are also fitted with tier 4 Deutz engines with low emission of carbon monoxide and are built to produce 180 pounds per minute of power. 

“Furthermore, the ASUs are built with aluminum chassis which is to prevent rusting thereby making them an all-weather equipment which can be used under the rain or the scorching sun.

“Similarly, 6 Sherpa Tractors were procured to boost the existing fleet of GSE in SAHCO. These tractors are built to service both Cargo and Passenger Baggage. The front wheels of the tractors have been modified to be bigger than the older models to enable a better stability of the equipment and to suit a rough terrain better, besides the seats have in-built leaf springs to ensure that the operator is comfortable driving the equipment thereby preventing any work-related development of hernia due to hard and immobile seats.

She went further that the GSEs are fitted with tier 4 Deutz engines for low emission of carbon monoxide which makes them environmentally friendly. The Tractors which were produced by Goldhofer from Germany are built to have low fuel consumption capacity.

“Also, SAHCO added 50 Container Dollies manufactured by Bombelli, an Italian GSE company to the new fleet of GSEs, these Container Dollies are used to transport Unit Load Devices (ULD) during Operations. The Dollies are made of galvanized steel to prevent corrosion and rusting and are fitted with spring loaded hooks which makes connection and pulling easy for operators.

“Similarly, the Canopied Passengers Steps and Conveyor Belts were manufactured by Bombelli. The three Canopied Passenger Steps have factory fitted Coverings to protect Passengers from the rain or scorching sun while embarking or disembarking and they are also fitted with Aircraft Proximity sensors in accordance to world best practices. The Passenger Steps also have the capacity of being motorized or manually operated and can be used to service the following Aircrafts; B737, B727, B757, CRJ, A318 – A321.

“In addition, the three Conveyor Belts which are used for loading and offloading of baggages, are equally fitted with In-built Aircraft Proximity Sensors. Also, the roller belts are manufactured in a block assembly fashion which makes the GSE to convey loads faster, carry more weight and last longer,” She added. 

Meanwhile speaking about the equipment, the Managing Director/CEO of SAHCO, Basil Agboarumi according to the statement reiterated how SAHCO is committed to always providing safe, speedy and efficient services for clients and prospective clients. 

“Furthermore, as SAHCO clients are expanding their routes, we are also ensuring that we are exceeding their expectations by expanding our fleets too. We are constantly training our staff both abroad and locally to learn how to operate and maintain these new equipment so as to maximize their productivity, Basil said. 

NAMA

 NAMA to Train Airspace Managers on Global Air Navigation Plan 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded arrangements to train Airspace Managers across all airports in Nigeria on Global Air Navigation Plan. 

This, according to the agency is targeted at equipping them with global trends in strategic air traffic management and also building their capacity for seamless airspace operations in their various domains.

Acting Managing Director of the agency, Matthew Lawrence Pwajok disclosed this over the weekend in Port Harcourt during this year’s Airspace Managers Forum and added that it had become imperative that Airspace Managers at the nation’s airports are kept abreast of global trends in airspace management. 

Pwajok explained that the training would expose managers to Global Air Navigation Plan, Regional Air Navigation Plan and National Air Navigation Plan just as it would keep them acquainted with the Civil Aviation Policy which is the framework that guides operations nationally. 

His words, “you must also be kept abreast of the Aviation Roadmap or Masterplan of the Federal Government; our Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Masterplan and the milestones towards attaining these masterplans because these are frameworks within which we are expected to operate in carrying out our statutory function as the nation’s airspace manager.”

   

The NAMA boss said Airspace Managers needed to be top-notched in understanding the national air navigation plan as it relates to the implementation strategies, milestones, timelines, technology roadmaps for achieving the national plan and the strategic position of NAMA in the entire plan, even as he solicited for their buy-in to ensure successful implementation.

Pwajok stressed that with the increased pressure on the aviation industry at the global, regional and national level following the growth in passenger and cargo, there is the need for the agency to grow capacity to be able to cope with the increasing traffic, adding that insecurity, expansion in the economy and the upsurge in political activities in Nigeria have also accounted for increased demand for air travel, hence the need for strategic air traffic management that would ensure seamlessness in operations. 

He further cautioned managers at airports with limited hours of operations not to turn down requests for extension of services especially at this period of electioneering as this could be given political colouration. 

“The honourable Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika sees aviation as a support role to every sector and to everybody, irrespective of political leaning,” Pwajok said. 

“Airports the world over are best handled by experts who run them as a business and not the government. Concessioning of airports in Nigeria would attract direct foreign investment necessary for export expansion, development of aerotropolis, airport cities, cargo terminals as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations, “ he maintained.   

AIB-N Assures Commitment

  AIB-N Assures Commitment to Improved Air Safety 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), Akin Olateru has assured its agency resolve to double efforts towards enhancing aviation safety in Africa and beyond through quality investigations of air mishaps.

Engr. Olateru gave this assurance on Monday at the conclusion of the week-long workshops organised by the Bureau and Bangul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) in partnership with African  Union(AU) and European Union, (EU) under the  Aviation Safety for Africa,(EU-ASA). 

The Commissioner who was duly represented by the Director of Engineering, Engr. Muhammad Wali, affirmed that AIB would continue to work in partnership with relevant agencies and stakeholders in the aviation industry for  a secure airspace in the African sub-region and beyond.

He added that the Bureau’s  resolve to continue to align to the current  trends of enhancing aviation safety through improved technology, training and retraining of the personnel, contributes meaningfully to the achievement of the Bureau’s mandate.

However, the BAGAIA Commissioner, Engr. Charles Irikefe Erhueh, in his speech, appreciated the AIB management, the  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and AU for their support and cooperation towards the  successful completion of the workshops, which was organised as part of efforts to drive safety measures and quick response during air mishaps in Nigeria and other African countries.

Erhueh also called on the participants of the workshops to ensure that they put all the knowledge and skills acquired at the training into practice at their various organisations.

The week-long workshops was titled the Role of Accident and Incident Investigation in the State Safety programmes (SSP), and Flight Recorder- Recorder and Beyond.

 Participants at the workshops were drawn from AIB, NCAA, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), the  BAGAIA, amongst others.

NAMA to maintain Safe Tower Project with #36.2b

NAMA Sets to Improve Nigeria's Airspace with #36.2 billion 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded plan to improve, maintain and repair where necessary the country’s Safe Tower Project (STP) with the sum of #36. 2 billion.

Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Mathew Lawrence Pwajok disclosed this in an interactive session with journalists over the weekend in Lagos adding that Overhaul Included in the STP are the upgrade of the air traffic management system, surveillance system, and meteorological system in the four major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano.

In his breakdown, the agency through the Federal Government had approved N13 billion for the Safe Tower Project (STP), N23.2 billion for the upgrade of the soft and hardware of the Total Radar Coverage, otherwise known as TRACON.

Aside from that, the upgrade would also occur to nine Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radars (RSM 970M) to cover the following stations – Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Maiduguri, Talata-Mafara, Numan, and Obubra configured to be interconnected through a VSAT network and one that intends to improve the country airspace surveillance.

NAMA is on the verge of completing it’s pet project, the Wide Area Multi-lateration (WAM) system, which is a surveillance system to cover Nigeria’s delta region and it’s cost was placed at $12.9 million.

Since Oil and gas activities are occasioned by a lot of helicopter operations in the Niger Delta and the purpose of WAM is to capture these flight operations that are outside the radar coverage areas in the country.

This is done for safety and security purposes and according to the agency, benefits of the system include the provision of low-cost extension of the surveillance coverage for low altitudes and areas where no radar coverage currently exists; optimization of surveillance infrastructure through the efficient mix of radar sensors, MLAT and ADS-B; increased airspace safety and capacity by providing separation to aircraft operating in the region.

The project upon completion, Mr. LAWRENCE said would provide an additional source of revenue for the agency and MLAT applications, particularly when combined with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to provide important operational improvements by addressing some of the limitations of the traditional radar surveillance system, optimize the controller workload and provide benefits in the areas of safety, capacity, efficiency, and environmental impact, thus contributing to the overall Communication, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management  (CNS/ATM) objectives.

NAMA Boss also disclosed that the multi-billion Naira radar for Lagos and Abuja airports that were commissioned in 2010 with a five-year maintenance agreement signed with Thales of France had expired since 2015, a situation that has put the agency in a tight corner on how to keep the air safety tool functioning. 

Thanks to the expertise of the agency’s engineers who had kept the system working and one that had made the air traffic management system seamless for air traffic controllers and pilots.

In his words, “A whole lot of money has been saved through that action of our engineers to keep the system running. There had been significant improvement in traffic management with the radar. With this radar, we can see traffic up to Accra, Yaounde, Malabo, and many other places”.

The NAMA boss noted that the idea was to increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and automate what was hitherto analogue system into digital..

Pwajok said that information regarding weather, regarding all of the components of weather, winds, rain, and macroburst would be displayed automatically.

He further disclosed that most of the Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) at virtually all Nigerian airports are obsolete, hinting that the agency was already replacing all the equipment to at least category 2 ILS.

In aviation, the ILS is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather.

In its original form, it allows an aircraft to approach until it is 200 feet (61 m) over the ground, within a 1⁄2 mile (800 m) of the runway.

We have done category 2 ILS in at least ten airports. ILS has been installed in Enugu, Sokoto, and Abuja. Category 2 was done at Lagos airport 18/R. We have done the same in Akure, Ilorin, and many other places. We have category three ILS in Katsina, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, and Abuja. We have completed satellite navigation for backup in the event of power failure”.

“We have provided ILS in over 32 airports at the moment at all the Federal Government owned airports and state-owned aerodromes

NIMASA OFR Award: MAJAN Congratulates DG

MAJAN Congratulates NIMASA DG on award of OFR conferment 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), has felicitated with the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, on the national honour bestowed on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The President of the Association, Comrade Ray Ugochukwu, Congratulated NIMASA boss in a press statement released on MAJAN platform today.

Ugochukwu described the award of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), conferred on Dr. Jamoh, as an honour well deserved.

He stated emphatically that Dr Jamoh deserves such honour following his hard work, resilience and tenacity in moving Nigerian Maritime industry to greater heights.

The MAJAN President, also commended the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Engr Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, who is working tirelessly to reposition the transport sector for greater efficiency within a short period of his assumption in office.

Lekki Airport, ASRTI

Lekki-EPE Airport: ASRTI Advocates Public Private Partnership Initiatives 

 ZAINAB JUNAID 

The Aviation Safety Round Table INITIATIVE (ASRTI) has declared full support and whole heartedly welcomed the decision of the Lagos State Government to build an airport in the Lekki axis to cater for the bourgeoning population and businesses around the Lekki industrial layout. 

This is coming after the country’s Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, presented a letter of approval for a new airport to be built in Lagos State at the on going Ehingbeti Lagos Economic summit on Tuesday. 

Spokesman for the Round Table group, Olumide Ohunayo, in a statement made available to journalists reiterated that despite earlier promises and the potentials including the extensive plans for the development of the area over the years, the project never took off and the Lekki corridor continued to expand, creating congestion, logistic and traffic chaos, impacting the economic and business opportunities in the area.

However in view of the latest development by the government and for the benefit of Lagos at large, the group strongly advocate for a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and the need for the regulator, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Ministry of Aviation, to give the necessary support and approvals for this project.

His words, “We are also calling on the relevant agencies and tiers of government,  to as a matter of urgency,  commence with the repair of the Cenotaphs erected to honour the  fallen air passengers at Lisa, Epe and Ejigbo respectively. These sites serve as a memorial of the dark history of our industry and to honour to our fallen citizens. Therefore, roads leading to these sites should  be fixed for accessibility.”

In a related development, Aviation Minister at the Ehingbeti summit, acknowledged the economic potential of Lagos State and affirmed that the Federal Government did not hesitate to approve Lagos request for a new airport because its rich culture, history, industries, and tourism potential needs to be connected to the rest of the world.

“This city, which houses about 26.7 percent of national GDP, housing our stock exchange, 200 financial institutions, 25 million people, on 5,377 square kilometres of landmass plus Eko Atlantic, plus all the industries, the rich culture, the tradition, the history, the tourist attraction the Eyo Festival, and so on and so forth, needs to be connected to the world to continue to be the center of the economy of the activity of the country, Nigeria,” Sirika said.

“And the only way you can link this city of Lagos to the world is obviously — not the only way, but the best way to connect — by infrastructure.

“So, when his excellency, the governor, approached us in [the] civil aviation ministry and says he wants to build an airport in Lagos, another airport? I said yes, this is a huge step in the very right direction. And the reason is simple. As I said, in my days in Lagos, the terminal point is Maroko, Sandfield. When you go there, you only go to the mechanic to do panel beating for you — that’s it.

“But today, from here, all the way to outer VGC, all the way to Epe, it’s Lagos. The expansion is astronomical, it’s huge, it’s big. The ideas and the size of the economy are good and big. So you need to continue to link Lagos, not only with Nigeria, [but] Africa and the world.

So if you look at all these financial institutions, the 200 industrial estates, and the Eko Atlantic, there must be a way that these people will come in and out of Lagos on another alternatively, which is the airport in Lekki. Your Excellency, the Governor, this is a huge step in the right direction, we didn’t waste time giving the approval. And we’re happy to present the certificate today.”

NAMA Recruits

 NAMA sets to Recruit 100 Air Traffic Controllers 

ZAINAB JUNAID 

In a bid to fill the vacuum created by impending shortage of Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) in the nation’s aviation industry, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has concluded plan to recruit at least 100 personnel between 2022 and 2028 respectively. 

Managing Director of NAMA, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok disclosed this while speaking at the 51st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), held in Ibadan, Oyo State, over the weekend, adding that about 40 Controller Cadets are currently undergoing training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, in order to fill the expected vacuum in the next six years. 

Pwajok, who attributed proliferation of aerodromes across the country to the scarcity of air traffic controllers in the aviation industry, noted that NAMA management had envisaged the gap in the number of ATCOs and had hitherto concluded plan to employ at least 100 controllers between 2022 and 2028. 

He explained that though controller staffing has fallen drastically since 2010, the agency is fully ready to employ more hands. 

His words, “Management is aware of the current and impending shortage of air traffic controllers due to retirement, death, and unrelenting increase in the number of airports around the country. 

“Management is also aware of the pressure that shortage has been exerting and may further exerting on your members. Let me assure you that we are already working to ensure that the situation does not become an emergency.

 “Presently, a Basic ATC Course is running in NCAT Zaria for 40 cadets and very soon, another set will resume as soon as Zaria has space. This is besides efforts at obtaining approval to recruit additional 100 Air Traffic Controllers for strategic replacement of ATCOS that will retire from service up to 2028.” 

Pwajok who was represented at the event by Mr. Jubril Haske, NAMA’s Director of Operations confirmed that the 40 cadets undergoing training at Zaria are different from the 100 personnel planned for the agency by 2028. 

He revealed further that NAMA management had also recruited another six controllers trained by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) into the agency to address the expected shortage. 

“At least 36 Air Traffic Controller Officers (ATCOs) had been trained in various courses and countries in the last six months,” he said. 

All these training, Pwajok maintained were tailored towards achieving seamless conduct of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Universal Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) for the country.