Quick Takes

FAAN MD Canvasses Collaboration in Aviation

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunoma, has charged African airport operators to evolve solutions that are flexible in the ever changing environment.

He stated at the plenary session of the 24th Airports Council InInternational (ACI) Africa Conference in Tunisia.

Dunoma, also advocated interaction and collaboration with key stakeholders as necessary to enable the implementation of processes and procedures in line with global trends in aviation management.

He said: “Cost minimization and efficiency must be the watchword of any meaningful innovation at the airports due to the current global economic/financial challenges.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Tunisia’s Minister of Transport, Mr Mahmoud Ben Romdhane identified the critical role of transport as a key driver.

The President of ACI World, Angela Gittens said this year’s theme “Leadership and Innovation in Airport Management” is aimed at improving airport management, encouraging innovation in the sector and developing the leaders of tomorrow.

Also, President, ACI Africa, Pascal Komla and Secretary, Ali Tousi said the event was a unique opportunity for airports and other other aviation executives, experts and Exhibitors from around the world to network, share information and forge a common vision for the future business of African airports.

Experts Want MH370 Sonar Images Re-examined

Australian authorities searching for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 should urgently re-investigate two areas in the remote Indian Ocean where sonar pictures show what could be debris from the plane, deep-sea search experts said.

An Australian-led underwater search, the most expensive in aviation history, has so far found no trace of MH370, which went missing with 239 passengers and crew during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014.

However, United State firm, Williamson & Associates said images of the southern Indian Ocean floor released by the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) this month bore a striking similarity to the underwater debris field Air France flight AF447 left on the Atlantic Ocean floor when it crashed in 2009, killing all 228 passengers and crew.

The ATSB provided the images of the two sites as part of an update in which it also said a re-scan of the areas indicated they were not related to MH370.

Experts involved in past deep-water searches have said the hunt could easily miss the plane because Dutch company Fugro was using inappropriate technology and inexperienced personnel for the complex task.

Williamson and Associates “believes the target (sonar image) bears the hallmarks of a classic high-impact debris trail similar to other wrecks it has located”, it said in a research paper.

“We believe that any target with these characteristics should be investigated as a high priority,” it said.

48 Ships with Foods, Petroleum Products Expected

Not less than 48 ships laden with foods and petroleum products are expected to arrive Lagos ports from this weekend.The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated this in its daily publication called Shipping Position made available to journalists in Lagos.

According to publication, 17 of the expected ships would sail in with containers, while seven others would arrive with general cargoes.

NPA explained that 17 other ships would arrive with frozen fish, buck wheat, bulk sugar and bulk salt.

It said the remaining ships would sail in with base oil, petrol, diesel and aviation fuel just as it noted no fewer than 12 ships had arrived the ports and were waiting to berth.

It also noted that 10 of the ships sailed in with petrol, while the other two vessels brought bulk gas and general cargoes.