Ground handling firms overwhelmed with managing inefficiencies, overstaffing – Adewale

Ground Handling Companies or Agents (GHAs) are said to be overwhelmed with needless high staff numbers who are just managing inefficiencies across Nigerian Airports.

Concerns have been raised on the need to engage permanent staff to handle each airline’s own system because the tech solutions are either inappropriate, not properly framed and many have now resulted to only perfecting Flight Manifest Message and jettisoning the other needed information such as Notification for Delivery, Received from Flight, Document Identifier without working hard to get these needed information services to the airlines.

Also, old technologies have not been harnessed as at present, although there are attempts to upgrade, upscale, and new technologies with improved solutions (such as user friendliness and more control).

These concerns were raised by Seyi Adewale, chief executive officer, Mainstream Cargo Limited, at the 5th CHINET Aviacargo Conference at the 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos.

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During his presentation, he disclosed that different airlines have different tech solutions used by GHAs that negatively impact on costs, manpower utilisation, and overall efficiency in the air-cargo process.

According to Adewale, there is inadequate tech communication between primary segments in the air-cargo business (airline to customs, GHA to airlines, GHA to consignee) and resultant higher charges to consignee (demurrage, pass on running costs, etc).

He further noted that there are higher running costs on airlines that need to have a retinue of ground staff to operate and manage some aspects of the ground handling process, or the inefficiencies.

“GHAs need to employ a higher number of staff to manage different processes evoked by the airlines because of technological lapses or inadequate or improper communication.

“Customs’ slower process of clearing or managing their tech platforms (what is the effective resumption time of a Customs officer in the CPC Unit). I dare say from 10 a.m.!” he said.

He mentioned that there are downtimes due to poor tech infrastructure support (electricity, backups, etc) and last-mile user frustration.

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The Mainstream Cargo boss mentioned that to harness tech developmental processes demands a good electricity supply, including the use of alternative and varied energy solutions that assure a 24-hour electricity supply process (Technology abhors energy downtime).

“B’Odogwu, newly executed by customs, is a much user-friendly solution; it empowers or puts control within the customs service, unlike the use of 3rd party agents in its management prior. Effective training must continue for all staff therein.

“It’s now easy for other 3rd parties, especially the airlines, to work with B’Odogwu and generate a rotation number easily, unlike before. B’Odogwu allows reasonable savings to the airlines because they no longer need to engage 3rd party agents to manage the interface with Customs. They can now generate a rotation number on their own. Also, they can now resolve issues on their own,” Adewale stated.

According to him, GHAs need to get better tech platforms that have the capabilities to effectively transmit this information communication services to the airlines, in real-time and on time; adding that tally clerks need to get information on time at the backend, and eradicate the needless strangulation from supervisors and managers who do not transmit the (FFM) information at the right time.

He suggested that GHAs have official tabs assigned to their tally clerks at the operational back-ends, stressing that doing this will solve a lot of inefficiencies thereof.

He recommends that customs should train all their staff in the proper use of B’Odogwu and conduct periodic tests to confirm user competence.

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“Customs needs to resolve its energy infrastructure, and immediately overcome the present teething challenges in the effectiveness of B’Odogwu so that it does not appear to be a worse solution in the eyes of the public.”

Adewale said GHAs need to procure high-grade and robust Tech Solutions to manage their respective transmission needs without the exclusion of any information messaging to airlines and other parties.

He said airlines should allow GHAs to improve their cargo tech platform without recourse to penalties when GHAs prove to be serious and invest in better and more effective cargo platforms.

“GHAs need to procure high-grade operational tablets for effective and immediate information dissemination to their tally clerks for effective and timely planning purposes,” he added.