ECONOMIC INSIGHT Review of weather minima: Airlines say no improvement yet
Airlines have expressed mixed feelings over the review of Aerodrome Operating Weather Minima for 18 airports in Nigeria which the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) carried out last week.
The review, which took effect on Thursday allows for takeoff as low as 150 metres Runway Visual Range (RVR) while some airports in the country with Category Two Instrument Landing Systems (ILS Cat II) can permit landing with 300 metres RVR.
Before the review, the lowest visibility with Category Two ILS in the nation’s airports was 800 metres/550 RVR implying that aircraft would be able to take off and land in weather minimum lower than the 800/550.
However, three days after the new weather minima took effect, there has been no improvement in flight operations, some operators claim.
They said they are still studying the process which requires the training of their personnel.
While the operators have recorded slight improvement in visibility, it is not on the basis of the review carried out, some operators told Daily Trust yesterday. Corporate Communication Manager of Air Peace, Mr. Chris Iwarah, confirmed that there was improvement in weather condition mid last week which enabled the carrier to operate to destinations they couldn’t fly to in recent times.
For instance, weather was good in Enugu unlike the situation two weeks ago when flights to most destinations were cancelled in the South, adding that Akure and Benin weather has not been good for flight operations.
But on the weather minima review, he said the airline is still studying the development, adding, “It is not something we need to rush into. We need to study it, we need to plan properly because all our service is about safety. We place safety first. We need to look at the facility on ground.
“At this moment it is still early to say how it has impacted on flight operations. Though the weather for some days has been fair, has improved in the last few days. You remember for some days, we were unable to operate into Enugu but in the last two days, we have been able to operate there.
“We have been able to operate into most of the destinations. The only place we have not been able to operate to is Akure and also Benin for some days now but in all other places, the weather is good to a large extent.”
Another airline operator who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “As far as we are concerned, we have not seen any improvement. The weather is still a big issue for us and we are looking at the magic they want to play”.
Also speaking, Dana Air said the airline would do the needful by training its pilots and implementing other requisite conditions to comply with NCAA guidelines in line with the new review.
Spokesman of Dana, Kingsley Ezenwa, said there have been less cancellations and delays in recent times.
“We are happy about it because we do not want to pass any burden to our passengers. We will continue to work to ensure that our passengers enjoy smooth, seamless flight operations.
“We are a proactive airline. Whatever the requirements are we will review and implement. We constantly train our pilots and this is also a component of their training. It is not about waiting for NCAA to review. We will continue to review where necessary and based on the dynamics.”
But spokesman of NCAA, Mr. Sam Adurogboye said the authority had done its bit by carrying out the review and it is now left for the domestic carriers to key into it, adding that the foreign airlines are already taking advantage of it.
He also defended the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) which he said had procured modern and upgraded navigational aids, saying that airlines need to upgrade their machines to be able to use the equipment.
He said, “If they (Operators) are yet to implement it, that’s their own problem.
“Whatever we have done is in consonance with what is on ground at the airports. Weather minima is subject to what we have at each of the airports and also, majorly what you find inside the aircraft that they are using.
“You find out that foreign airlines are taking advantage of what we have more than local airlines because they are not using the type of machines that the foreign airlines are using and it is not the fault of NCAA or NAMA, it is because that is what they can afford. That has been their problem.
“So the more they acquire modern, new things, the more they can use new technologies. When they are cancelling flights it is because they can’t afford new equipment. It is not that NAMA didn’t install new equipment. NAMA has procured modern equipment and that is why we are adjusting the minima.”