Tackling airport infrastructure gaps in post-pandemic age

The Nigerian air transport sector is a mishmash of opportunities and challenges. The devastating COVID-19 pandemic did expose the underbelly of airport facilities, but along came smart quick fixes to turn the corner. WOLE OYEBADE writes on gains in airport infrastructure in the last three years amid lingering challenges.

No other word best capture the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation sector: ‘disastrous’! For Nigeria’s airline operations and airport infrastructure, it was the worst disruption ever recorded in the industry.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated that the sector amassed net losses of $126.4 billion in 2020, with the likelihood of reaching $550 billion the following year.

At the peak of the crisis in April 2020, 66 per cent of the world’s commercial air transport fleet was grounded. Total industry passenger revenues fell by 69 per cent to $189 billion and air connectivity declined by more than half.

But the larger worry globally was how best to bounce back from the dead and with new vigor to cope with the recovery phase that will require more of new investments amid general insolvency. Two options were open to airport managers: either to increase user charges or look inward for cost-effective quick fixes.

Apparently realising flaws of the former, IATA was quick to warn the Netherlands that a proposed 37 per cent increase in airport charges risks significant damage to the recovery of air connectivity in the country. The regulator at Schiphol, ACM, had released a decision on April 21, which accepted the airport’s position to raise airport charges over the next three years to recover from COVID-19 losses.

The much-fancied alternative was the quick fixes option, which developing countries like Nigeria have deployed, leveraging pending projects to optimise existing ones. Amid challenges, stakeholders said that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had in the last two years, optimised capacity to cope with the post-pandemic era.

Specific contributions to growth were the completion of the new international terminal at the Lagos Airport, reopening of the Enugu Airport to international operations, new measures in revenue generation drive and human capacity development of staffers.

Weathering the dark cloud
FAAN owns and manages 22 public airports nationwide with a total of 8000 workforce strength. The devastating effects of the pandemic didn’t spare the Authority. After three months of total lockdown, the airlines were gasping for breath and most airports yielded less than half of expected revenue.

A top official at FAAN noted that it was tough navigating through the low-income phase. “To keep the airports running without patronage became much more expensive. But the management, led by the Managing Director, Captain Hamisu Yadudu, with the support of the ministry and workers, stayed committed to the plan to keep upgrading without passing the cost to travellers or airlines, because they too were troubled.

“While battling challenges of funding, we had to quickly draw up a new COVID-19 protocol with sister agencies and immediately put up the customer-centric infrastructure. That was the saving grace that helped us to quickly resume operations after the lockdown,” she said.

One of the fallout of the interventions was the opening of the new terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), after years of delays.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the new terminal was another demonstration of the government’s commitment to aviation growth, and the target of five per cent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Built on a landmass of approximately 56,000 square metres, the new terminal has the capacity to process 14 million passengers per year.

Chairman of the Airlines and Passengers’ Joint Committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Bankole Bernard, commended both FAAN and the Minister for the success of the new terminal.

Bernard said that the busiest entry port in the country finally got its befitting edifice. “We need it to help our industry to grow. The new terminal will surely relieve the pressure on travellers that have to queue and some even miss their flights in the process. The terminal will make things a lot easier, especially during the coming summer holidays, and further encourage more airlines to come into a destination like Nigeria,” Bernard said.

Of similar importance was the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and its opening to international operations. Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) facility has also been completed. Calabar Airport has been upgraded while construction of a cargo terminal at Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) has begun, among others.

Market rebound as a reward
One of the emerging gains is an increase in local capacity and surge in air traffic demand. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in April 2022 estimated that 13 million passengers travelled Nigerian airports in 2021.

The figure is 43.41 per cent rise when compared to 2020 (nine million) figures, though still 14.5 per cent shy of the 2018 pre-pandemic (15.2 million) figures.

The Chief Operating Officer of a local airline affirmed the steady growth in demand in the air travel sector.

“Yes, we are just recovering from the pandemic and already nearing our all-time high as an industry. Note that local airlines also increased by two in 2021, with wider network routes for customers. I will give the credit to FAAN for making the infrastructure available. I can see the effects of user charges judiciously used by Authority. They have stepped up the game in the last three years.

“And it speaks a lot more to what we can achieve as an industry. Yadudu and his team have done well for airlines and passengers. But there is far more to do. Over 10 million domestic passengers a year looks good for operators and economic returns. But divided by 10 airlines, that is an average of one million passengers per airline for 12 months. That is a small industry ratio that is smaller than 2018 figures. It shows gross under-utilisation of capacity (airline and airports) and unbefitting of a country of 200 million people.

“My point is, our sector deserves to do better or we are completely left behind. We need to have less sunset airports, inefficient and idle capacities, but good runway lighting and efficient facilitation to run 24-hour services across a wider network locally and regionally. Those are the gaps that are still waiting to be filled,” he said.

Capacity building for efficiency
Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, mentioned investment in human capacity development to cope with the times.

Indeed the Authority has stepped up training of staff, especially those in the aviation security, fire and rescue, operations, safety and engineering departments. The idea was to train staffers to become instructors, domesticate some of the training programmes for mass consumption and depend less on overseas training.

To complement the capacity building exercise was the upgrade of the FAAN Training School at MMIA to world-class standard. The school is now an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-accredited aviation security training centre and TrainAir-plus training centre.

Aligbe commended Yadudu in the area of training and retraining of personnel in the industry, especially the Aviation Security (AVSEC).

He said: “From the little interactions that I have had with him (Yadudu), he has a great composure. He understands that the industry is changing and that the changes not only affect the other aspects of the industry, but particularly the airport sub-sector.

“For me, he appears particularly as someone who is open to admit such changes. He understands that as the sector changes, policies and plans of action must also change in consonant with those changes. He has made great success in the area of aviation security. I am convinced that Nigerian AVSEC can stand up today with their counterparts globally,” he said.

Aligbe, however, advised FAAN to further improve the airport facilities to enhance passenger facilitation and ensure seamless services, adding that the agency had also performed well in the area of dislodging touts, loafers and miscreants at the airport corridors.

Indeed, the flight of post-pandemic recovery has gained altitude. For instance, IATA expects overall traveller numbers to reach 4.0 billion in 2024 (counting multi-sector connecting trips as one passenger), exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels (103 per cent of the 2019 total). Passenger numbers to/from/within Africa will recover more gradually than in other regions, reaching 76 per cent of 2019 levels in 2022, surpassing pre-crisis levels only in 2025 (101 per cent).

The airport infrastructure upgrade by FAAN has supported a rebound from the pandemic. The projection for the nearest future will demand far more to ensure that Nigerian aviation is not left behind.