FG to Complete Installation of Airfield Lighting in 13 Airports

Chinedu Eze their revenue as they could operate many times into one airport both in the day and in the night, especially during the Yuletide and other holidays.

The installation projects would be completed in July, 2015, according to the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, who spoke at the weekend when he inaugurated the Common User Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) at the Domestic Terminal II of the Muratala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.

Airline operators said the major drawback, which is even a threat to safety is the failure of succeeding government to provide runway lighting at many of Nigeria’s airports. Without this equipment, aircraft cannot land in the night. Currently, all the airports that do not have airfield lighting do not take in aircraft from 6:00 pm. Lack of airfield lighting is also another major cause of airport underutilisation.

Installation of airfield lighting at all the nation’s airports will boost the revenue of domestic airlines to the tune of about N40 billion annually. This is the estimated amount of revenue that the airlines lose because they do not operate after 6:00 to more than 18 airports in the country because these airports do not have the critical landing known as airfield lights or runway lighting.

Managing Director of Arik Air, Chris Ndulue recently said Nigerian airlines lose huge resources because they do not operate to many airports in the night.

The advantage of having such critical equipment is that it would help not only the airlines but passengers. Presently when technical or other problem occur in the daily operation of airlines that leads to delays, some flights that delay beyond 6:00 PM may be cancelled if the destined airports do not have airfield lighting.

So the installation of the equipment will enable airlines to fly to Ibadan, Akure, Enugu, Owerri, Calabar, Yola and other airports where currently there is no airfield lighting.

It will also help safety of airline operations because during emergency in the night a troubled aircraft can land at the nearest airport, instead of looking for the one that has airfield lighting, which may be hundreds of kilometres away.